One Sided
by SushiAngel
Summary: Summer is determined to be a part of Qrow's life, but he will do everything in his power to distance himself and keep her safe. This is a complicated tale about two friends exploring the boundaries of their relationship and their fight with the strings of fate.
1. Chapter 1

**My internet was out for 3 days and this fanfic was born from boredom and my interest in a popular RWBY theory. I have my own opinions on its validity but we'll save that for the last chapter.**

 **For now, let me guide you through a complicated love story I weaved during my 72 hours without internet.**

"Why?" Summer breathed as a thousand unseen pins and needles plunged into her heart.

Qrow, the man in question, held his head down like a child who just got caught doing something bad.

"I...I just don't feel the same way." He mumbled, ruby eyes refusing to meet Summer's.

"Liar," Summer spat venomously. "Friends don't kiss each other for no reason."

"That was...a mistake."

"A mistake?" She choked. It felt like he'd ripped her heart out and cut it into two.

"That came out wrong," he mumbled to himself. "I was drunk and you...well you looked...nice that night." A red hue flushed his face as he responded, sparking a glimmer of hope within Summer.

"That's not a good excuse, Qrow. There was something there that night."

Even now she could remember the words he whispered in her ear, the touch of his lips under a starry sky. And now to hear him shrug it off as a _mistake_ hurt more than any sword could inflict.

"That was a one-time thing. I...I just don't feel the same way." His persistence turned Summer's heartbreak into boiling anger.

"If you didn't feel the same way then why do you constantly volunteer to go stargazing with me?!"

"You know how loud Tai and Raven can get." He insisted in a heartbeat. "There's no way in hell I'm listening to that."

"Oh please, like you're any better." Summer blurted. "You and your girlfriends always made it hard for everyone to get a good night's sleep."

It also made it tremendously hard for Summer to be around him knowing he found so many other girls more attractive than her. As if being the shortest girl in the school wasn't bad enough.

"That was during our first year, give me a break." Qrow's voice thickened with annoyance. "Look, there's not much to say. I need to head back and...study."

Qrow's turned his back to her, but before he could take another step Summer's hand shot out from under her white cloak and grabbed onto his hand.

Qrow's sighed," Summer, I already told you-"

"Do you remember when we lost during the Vytle Festival?" She squeezed his hand. "Do you?"

An icy breeze blew past them, sending goosebumps up Summer's arms and legs.

"It was our first Vytle Festival." She continued after an awkward pause," we weren't the best team at Beacon yet, but we weren't pushovers either. Back then, I really thought we had a good chance at winning. I even had a party planned for our victory...Of course, that's not how things turned out..."

 _Summer sat on the rooftop of Beacon Academy with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company. She kept her silver eyes glued to the twinkling sky as her inner demons chastised her, relentlessly tearing down her confidence and self-worth._

 _'It's not fair,' she thought grimly to herself. 'How can they shine so brightly after our defeat?'_

 _She pulled her knees up to her chest, wincing as the small movement irritated the gash on her stomach._

 _'I underestimated our opponents. If I hadn't been so focused on beating that sniper then I would've noticed how much my team was struggling. I should've backed down and articulated a better strategy...'_

 _Summer rested her forehead on her knees as tears began to burn her eyes._

 _"Why was I so stupid? This is all my fault..." Her hands curled into shaking fists. "I knew Ozpin made a mistake when he chose me as a leader. H-how could I be so selfish and let my friends down?"_

 _"And Raven calls me the emo one."_

 _Summer's heart practically leaped out of her chest at the voice behind her._ _She twisted her body around to face her unexpected guest, grimacing as pain shot up from her wound._

 _"Q-Qrow?" She squinted her flooded eyes at the dark figure. This time she couldn't tell if the tears were from their defeat or her burning injury._

 _"I thought you said that you'd take it easy," he continued nonchalantly_

 _"I-I'm just enjoying the view," she frantically wiped her eyes dry with her cloak. "I-it's really relaxing. S-so it's technically taking it easy."_

 _Summer tore her eyes away from her teammate, though she could still feel his gaze locked onto her._

 _"Right..."_

 _Butterflies tickled Summer's stomach as Qrow casually took a seat beside her. Despite being on the same team, they've never talked outside of training or class. In fact, the only thing Summer knew about Qrow was that he was Raven's twin brother and he was a bit of a player._

 _"Geez you look like I'm holding you hostage," Qrow broke the silence first. "Will you relax a bit?"_

 _"W-what are you talking about? I haven't felt this relaxed since the whole festival started. N-no more fighting for us, s-so that means more sleep...yeah."_

 _She didn't dare look at Qrow during her little ramble. She hated having to lie to her team mate's face; she was their team leader for Gods' sake! She was supposed to be trustworthy and reliable, two things she'd failed to live up to._

 _"S-so, what are you doing up here?" She asked with a nervous giggle._

 _Qrow leaned back on his hands and answered, "Raven asked me to check up on you before leaving to get a late night snack with Tai. You can imagine my surprise when I came into an empty room and an opened window. I figured you didn't get far so I decided to check up here...you could call it a lucky guess." He chuckled at the last part._

 _"O-oh, well I'm here and safe. I'll head back after-"_

 _"Cut the bullshit, Summer."_

 _Summer snapped her mouth shut. It was unusual for Qrow, or any of her teammates for that matter, to use vulgar language against her._

 _She fidgeted with the edge of her cloak. If it weren't for her injury she would've leaped up to her feet and ran._

 _"Look," he shifted himself into a more comfortable position." It's just one defeat-"_

 _"It was our biggest defeat!"_

 _"So?"_

 _"So?!" She shot him an incredulous look. "Our defeat was embarrassing! If I had just paid more attention to you guys I would've noticed how much trouble we were in...I-I would've come up with a better strategy."_

 _The lump at the back of Summer's throat seemed to grow. She bit the inside of her cheeks, desperately fighting back the fresh tears blurring her vision._

 _Qrow, on the other hand, looked perfectly relaxed as he scanned over the starry night sky. If he was bothered by their loss then he certainly wasn't showing it._

 _"It's not your fault, Summer. Those guys are way more experienced than us-"_

 _"We still could've won, Qrow. There...there was still a chance and I blew it."_

 _He shrugged," I suppose, but we would've gotten out from that fight with some serious injuries. You can see this defeat as...sort of a blessing."_

 _Summer arched her brow at him. He dropped his gaze down onto his lap, fingers tapping rhythmically against the rooftop. If this were any other circumstance Summer would've laughed at him. He was never the type to be nervous, not even when he confronted a cute girl. Yet here he was, acting like an awkward middle-schooler trying to ask out their crush._

 _"Look, I'm not good at...this." He scratched the back of his head and looked back up at the sky. "I...uh...don't think it's your fault. None of us do."_

 _"But...we still lost because of my incompetence as a leader."_

 _"We're not going to get any better if you sit around_ and _mope all day either. I don't blame you for our loss, hell not even my asshole of a sister thinks it's your fault. The only one who's blowing things way out of proportions is yourself." His words managed to quiet most of the demons gnawing at her anxieties. She felt a great weight lift from her chest._

 _"We'll get our revenge next year, shortie." He playfully punched her on the shoulder. "Now stop moping out here alone. It doesn't suit your style."_

 _A single tear managed to escape from her watery eyes. Summer bit on the inside of her cheeks so hard she could taste iron, though that wasn't enough to stop the rest of the tears to come rushing out._

 _Qrow mumbled something under his breath before replying," okay, what did I say wrong?"_

 _Summer shook her head," I'm...I'm just grateful you're here right now."_

 _"Yeah well don't get used to it," his signature smirk now stretched on his face. "I'm not too fond of stuff like this."_

 _For the first time since they left that arena, Summa cracked a genuine smile. She returned her eyes to the diamonds in the sky, their twinkling light now welcomed in her heart._

 _"Qrow?"_

 _"Hm?"_

 _"Can you...stay with me for a little bit? I don't want to go back yet."_

 _He forced out an exasperated sigh," fine, but you owe me."_

 _"...thank you."_

"I like to think that was the time we really started to be friends." Summer explained, her nails were practically digging into his hand at this point.

"Summer..."

"I was really happy when we started talking and hanging out outside of class. I...I was so glad to see you opening up to me just a little bit more."

"Don't overthink it," he answered coldly. "It's...only logical that I try to get along with my team leader. We need to work with each other, after all."

Summer held back every urge punch him; scream at him to turn around and look her in the eyes.

"Sorry if I gave you the wrong idea." He added curtly.

Summer opened her mouth to protest, but before the words could leave her mouth she spotted Tai and Raven heading towards them. Qrow cursed under his breath and practically ripped Summer's hand off of his.

'What are they doing here?!' She thought as a wave of fear rushed through her. 'I thought Tai was going to take Raven out for a dinner date. And even if the date ended early why walk to the back of the school?'

Tai took quick notice of Qrow and Summer. He waved and called out to them, completely oblivious to the thick tension entangling them.

Summer gasped as the puzzle pieces fell perfectly together," you're scared."

"Excuse me?" Qrow looked back at her, seeming genuinely shocked at her statement.

"Your semblance," she elaborated softly. "You're scared that your semblance will hurt me."

"No," he looked away from her again. "I already told you that I only see you as a friend. You're overthinking again."

"I always wondered why you ended all your relationships early," Summer continued, completely ignoring his previous claim. "And why you barely come out to group hangouts. You're terrified something bad will happen to us-to me."

"Seriously, you're blowing this way out of proportion!" He turned around to face her, eyes flaring with anger. She knew she'd hit a sensitive subject, though she was too stubborn to back down now.

"I'm not scared of your semblance." She took a step toward him. "I've been on the same team with you for years, I know how to handle it."

"Look, how many times do I have to tell you?! I never have and never will see you as more than a friend! Stop trying to assume there's a reason why I don't feel the same way!"

"I don't have to assume! I know you well enough to tell whether or not you're lying to me or not! Why don't _you_ stop assuming I'm too helpless to look out for myself?"

"Ugh! Why do you have to be so stubborn?!"

"Why do you have to be so paranoid?!"

"Um...are we interrupting something?"

Neither Summer nor Qrow noticed the remainder of their team standing beside them, both Tai and Raven looked equally as shocked at their screaming fit. Summer bowed her head and quickly pulled her hood over her head. His words still lingered in her head, each sentence shooting venom into her already damaged heart.

Qrow backed away from Summer and folded his arms," Summer and I were just having a small disagreement. I was trying to clarify some things with her."

Raven shot her twin a skeptical look before looking over at Summer," is he telling the truth?"

Summer swallowed," y-yeah." She noticed Raven furrowing her brows in concern.

"Summer-"

"He clarified everything for me." Before anyone could ask any more questions she burst into white rose petals and ran.

She stopped promptly on the roof, the same spot they sat several years ago. When she was sure no one was following her she collapsed onto her knees and bawled. She remained there for hours, screaming out from the bottom of her shattered heart.

 **This is why I called it a "complicated love story". If you're interested to see how everything else plays out, follow this story! New chapters will be coming out soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Did anyone have issues with the Doc Manager recently? I wanted to post this story sooner but the website was acting weird and wouldn't let me make any new documents. Glad the issue FINALLY got fixed :P**

 _"How's she doing?"_

 _"She's losing too much blood!"_

 _"Calm down, man-"_

 _"I can't calm down, Tai! She wouldn't be like this if it weren't-"_

 _"This isn't the time to drown in self-hatred, brother. We need to focus on getting her medical help."_

 _"R-right, I can-"_

 _"No, you're too shaken up to think clearly. I'll fly up and guide us back."_

 _"I can fight off any Grimm along the way. You gonna be okay carrying her back?"_

 _"Yeah, don't worry about me."_

 _"Come on, we don't have time to waste!"_

 _"I'm sorry, Summer...I'm so sorry."_

Summer woke up with a pounding headache. She tentatively squinted open her eyes and groaned at the blinding white light. It took several minutes for her eyes to adjust and when they did she took note of her surroundings.

She was in a small private hospital room, a vase of red roses sitting on her bedside. Her clothes were folded neatly on the chair across from her bed, and her sword leaned against the wall beside it.

"Ugh...what happened to me?" Summer muttered, turning to her side. "The last thing I remember..."

The cry of a Raven sounded just outside her window. She made a mental note to expect her team to burst into her room in the near future.

"That's right...Oz sent us to find more information about Salem. I...I know we ran into some nasty Grimm along the way, but I still can't recall how I ended up here."

She closed her eyes and desperately searched through her fuzzy memories, though she could only remember bits and pieces of a fight.

It wasn't long before her door swung wide open, revealing the team's couple.

"Glad to see you're awake so soon, Summer!" Tai greeted her with a cheeky smile and a fruit basket in hand. "I hope you're hungry, 'cause we got all your favourites here."

"Tai, please lower your voice." Raven chided, gently closing the door behind her. "This is a hospital, not an arena."

"Oh please, I'm not _that_ loud," Tai said as he placed the fruit basket beside the roses.

Raven shot him a quick glare before turning her attention to Summer, "so how are you feeling?"

"I'm a bit sore and my head feels like it got hit with a ton of bricks." She admitted truthfully. "At least I don't have to wake up to the smell of...hospital. Thank you so much for the roses, they smell lovely."

Raven and Tai exchanged looks, neither looked too happy with her response.

"Um...is something wrong?"

"Summer," Tai began as he made his way to Raven's side. "We didn't bring you roses."

"It was my brother." Raven finished.

"Oh," Summer averted her eyes on the white ceiling. She could feel her cheeks warming at the idea of Qrow giving her roses.

Despite their confrontation at the school couple years ago, Summer kept a close relationship with Qrow. If it weren't for the fact that he'd purposely try to avoid spending alone time with her she would've thought their whole fiasco was a fevered dream.

"W-where is he anyway?" She asked her friends shyly.

Raven played with a strand of black hair, her eyes seemed to be looking everywhere but Summer.

"He's...been missing," Tai spoke up first.

"Missing?" Summer shot up to a sitting position. The small movement made it feel like her head was splitting into two. She visibly flinched at the shot of pain, her hands flying up to clutch her head.

"Summer!" The couple exclaimed, rushing to her bedside.

"Just a bad headache," she whimpered.

"You need to take it easy, girl," Tai said to her softly.

Raven wordlessly propped her pillow up while Tai gently eased her down. She sunk her head into the fluffy pillow and closed her eyes, her head still pounding like a drum. Her friends didn't utter a single word as she waited for the surge of pain to subside. It felt like hours passed when she reopened her eyes, Raven and Tai were now seated at the foot of her bed.

"Guys, what happened to Qrow?" Summer continued to interrogate weakly. "Was he hurt the last time you saw him? Do have an idea of where he is? How long has he been gone? Where was the last-"

"Summer," Raven placed her hand on Summer's leg. "What do you remember before blacking out?"

"I...I don't know. I think we were fighting some Grimm." A sense of dread fell into the pits of her stomach. "Oh no...please don't tell me..."

"He made it out okay," Raven reassured firmly.

It felt like a boulder was lifted off her shoulders at Raven's words.

"So tell me. What happened during that fight?"

"As you said we got into a fight," Raven got up and began to pace slowly around the room. "It was with a group of nasty Grimm, we've never seen anything like them before. Per usual, we fought but it was quickly apparent that these particular Grimm were stronger, faster."

"My brother was being stubborn as usual and kept his distance from us during the fight. Of course, that meant he was at a severe disadvantage. To be honest, I don't remember what led up to the event, but the next thing I knew you dashed toward my brother and saved his ass from an attack. You stayed by his side despite his protests."

"Qrow's a pretty lucky guy to have a girl like you looking out for him." Tai winked.

Summer's face lit up like a Christmas tree in response, Tai burst into laughter at her reaction.

"It's that obvious, huh?" She whispered to herself.

"Well _excuse me_ for being uncaring." Raven promptly flicked her boyfriend on the forehead. Tai's amusement morphed into utter dread in a matter of seconds.

"T-that's not what I meant, Rae. You're super caring and hot, I wouldn't trade you for the world."

"You better not be lying, fire boy." She punched him hard in the shoulder.

"Anyways, at some point you...unfortunately had your sword knocked out of your hand. Qrow noticed a second too late...when I looked over you were already on the ground with one hell of a gash in your head. Tai and I instantly rushed over to help Qrow out." She sighed," I'll be honest, Summer, with both the Grimm and his semblance against us it wasn't an easy fight."

"Er, don't tell him we said that." Tai quickly added.

Raven rolled her eyes," he's not stupid, Tai. That's definitely part of the reason why he'd just disappear on us."

"Have you guys searched for him?" Summer asked, her fingers curling tightly around her bed sheet.

"We looked everywhere in town." Tai ran a hand through his hair. "Raven even tried to find him from the sky."

"That's Qrow for you, he can disappear into thin air if he wants to." Raven began to pace again.

Summer, however, was not convinced by Raven's claim. Raven knew Qrow like the back of her hand, even if he managed to fly to the edge of the world she could still track him down.

"Are you sure, Raven?" Summer challenged tightly. "Can you really not find him?"

Raven stopped dead in her tracks. She locked her gaze to a particular spot on the wall," no, I can't find him his time." She looked back at Summer with the most sincere, sorry expression. "I tried everything." Summer's grip on her blanket tightened,

"It's not your fault." Summer held back the urge to scoff at her lie. "So what now?"

"Tai and I will continue to look for Qrow while you stay in bed and recover," Raven answered a bit too eagerly. "If we can't find him by the time you're done recovering we'll move on to our next destination."

"We know you don't like that idea," Tai spoke before Summer had the chance to protest. "But we can't just abandon our mission. Qrow can join us when he's ready."

"Fine," Summer crossed her arms, turned her head away from her friends and locked her gaze on the flowers, "I feel a bit tired right now. Can we talk another time?"

Summer could hear someone rolling a cart past her room.

"Okay," Tai sounded hesitant. "If you need anything feel free to call us."

Summer nodded curtly. When the couple was sure she had nothing else to say they proceeded to leave.

"Summer," Raven breathed. "I'm...sorry."

"Yeah, me too." She said just as the door clicked shut.

* * *

The rest of their mission went smoothly, though there were times Summer wished Qrow was there to lend a helping hand during the fights. While Raven and Tai continued to insist Qrow was not coming back for the rest of the mission, Summer held onto hope.

Sometimes she'd stay up late at night, surveying the dark surroundings for him. She even went as far as to sneak out in the middle of the night, hoping he'd be more willing to approach her if she were alone. During more serious fights, she'd sometimes catch a glimpse of a crow perched in a nearby, but when she turned to get a better look it was gone.

As days turned into weeks and weeks her hopes of reuniting with her friend slowly withered away, just like the roses he gave to her.

Finally, after months of fieldwork, the team returned safely back to Vale. They retreated back to wooden cabin Tai and Raven had bought, eager for a large meal and a well-deserved rest.

Tai volunteered to cook something for the team while the girls got a chance to clean up and unpack. By nightfall the remainder of team STRQ was gathered at the dinner table, dressed in sleepwear and recovering from their enormous feast.

"Mann, it feels so good to be home!" Tai boomed, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his belly. "I can't wait to fall into a food coma!"

"Let's just hope Oz doesn't have a new assignment for us," Raven commented with a frown. "Seriously, I'm gonna fuck some shit up if we get something new tomorrow."

"Let's not jinx it, babe."

"Thanks for making such a delicious meal, Tai." Summer piped in. "I haven't had food like that in ages."

"I told you nothing can beat my homemade noodles." Tai gloated.

"They're kinda overcooked," Raven muttered, but her comment was drowned out by Tai's burp. Raven scrunched her face in disgust in return.

"I'll clean up the dishes for us, you two should head to bed first." Summer offered.

"Are you sure?" Raven arched her brow. "We can just leave it for the morning."

"It's fine, I'm not too tired anyway." Summer answered as she got up and proceeded to gather their dirty plates.

"And that's why Oz chose you as our leader," Tai yawned. "You don't know the definition of sleep."

Summer giggled," I'm still running on a bit of adrenaline from our last fight. I'll be ready to black out once I burn off the extra energy." Dirty plates and utensils clanged as she dropped them into the sink. "I'll see you two in the morning, okay?"

"Sweet! It's been forever since I had a good nights rest!" Tai practically sprang out of his seat. "See you sometime tomorrow, Summer—"he gave Raven a mischievous smile"—and I'll be seeing _you_ in bed."

Raven slapped him on the arm, her face almost as red as her eyes. Tai, however, laughed at her reaction and proceeded to their bedroom.

"W-well then, I should be heading off too." She straightened her hair before rising up from her seat. "Don't force yourself to clean if you're too tired. You of all people deserve a long night's rest."

"Don't worry, Raven, I'll go to bed as soon as I'm done." She couldn't hold back the goofy smile on her as she added," and take it easy with Tai, some of us are _actually_ trying to sleep tonight."

She didn't have to look to know Raven was red as a cherry at this point.

"Ugh, and I thought you were the innocent one. _Good night_ , Summer."

Summer fell into a fit of laughter as Raven stomped back to her room.

The kitchen fell silent as the young huntress finished the last of her chores. By the time she was done her head was pounding from fatigue and it felt like her eyelids had boulders attached to them. As much as she wanted to crash onto her bed, Summer knew her night was far from over.

She tip toed back to her bedroom, blushing as she passed by Raven and Tai's locked door. She hastily threw on her white cloak, shoes and strapped her trusty sword to her side.

It was routine at this point, every night she'd sneak out and patrol the area they were staying in, looking for him. Usually, she'd make a quick round around town or whatever environment they were staying in, but tonight she was determined to look through every alleyway.

Tonight she was roaming the streets in which her team called home. Here, every corner was fair game.

Once she was sure she had all her essential items, she cracked open her window and burst into rose petals, disappearing into the night.

* * *

"Dammit Qrow." Summer collided her fist into a nearby wall.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been searching for, but by now she was sure she'd scanned through ever street and rooftop. She even went as far as to investigate the restaurants and stores that were still open. Much to her dismay, she could not find a trace of her friend.

She allowed her fatigued legs to finally collapse. Sighing, she rested against the wall and looked up at the shattered moon shining within the sea of stars. For a brief second, she felt like she was transported back to Beacon, staring at the night sky without a care in the world. Now she had to worry about protecting the world from Salem, finding the Maidens and, of course, trying to keep her team together.

She'd give anything to return to the simpler days.

"I should get home." With a grunt she helped herself back up and proceeded back. This time without the help of her semblance.

During her lonely journey back she passed by the only bar in town. She paused and wordlessly examined the building. Drunken women were sluggishly flirting with a group of guys smoking nearby while drunk patrons teetered out of its doors. Her stomach twisted into knots once she realized that was the only place she hadn't checked.

"He wouldn't be there, right?" She asked herself. "He isn't the type to drink through the night unless it's a party."

Summer's clammy hand once again navigated to her sword.

"Dammit, if I find him he's gonna owe me big time."

She sucked a sharp breath in before marching toward the bar. As she neared the entrance one of the smokers turned his head in her direction, a hungry smirk crept its way on his lips. Summer clenched her teeth and forced herself to move forward.

The door was just out of reach when she noticed movement at the corner of her eyes. This time she didn't bother hiding her panic. She lunged for the door and practically ran inside. Incomprehensible chatter filled her ears upon entry. It didn't seem like any of the customers inside noticed or cared for her panicked entry. Just before she could breathe a sigh of relief she heard the door opening behind her.

"Hey, baby, where are you going?"

Cursing under her breathe, Summer proceeded further into the building at a faster pace. Though her unexpected guess had no problem following her inside.

'And Raven said these sort of things only happen in movies.' She thought fearfully.

Summer reached back to her hood and attempted to pull it over her head, but a hand snatched onto her wrist before the hood was all the way on her head. She squealed and felt her muscles freeze. The man took that opportunity to lean his face closer to hers.

"It's kinda sad for a pretty thing like you to be drinking alone." Shivers crawled down her spine as she felt the man's cigarette breath brush her ear. "Let me keep you company."

"N-no thank you." Summer attempted to pull her hand away but the man's grip tightened around her. When he was sure she wasn't getting away, he spun her around to face him.

"Now don't be like that, sweetheart. C'mon I'll buy us some drinks." His eyes screamed with lust. It made Summer want to vomit.

Several curious heads turned their direction. Some sipped their drink as they watched the exchange like it was a TV show, others looked on with worry with their faces.

"I said no," Summer glared at the man. "Now let me go."

"Someone's feisty tonight." The man's face was inches away from hers now. Summer's fear quickly morphed into burning anger. "That's how I like my girls."

The distance between their lips was quickly diminishing. Summer instinctively fell into a fighting stance and prepared to draw her sword, but before she got the chance to unsheathe it the man was ripped away from her.

"She isn't interested, buddy." Qrow was now standing between her and the creep. She noted how wobbly he was despite standing still.

"What the fuck?!" The man looked angrily at her and Qrow.

"Get lost," Qrow slurred. "You're not welcome here."

The man flared his nostrils," who the fuck do you think you are?!"

The man's fist flew toward Qrow, but even in his drunken state he effortlessly caught the fist in his hand. Several patrons, including Summer, gasped at his quick reflexes. Summer held back a laugh as the man's face slowly changed from rage to regret.

 _Oohs_ erupted from the audience when Qrow retaliated with a punch of his own, hitting the man square in the face. The man staggered back, cupping his nose with a single hand.

"Listen here, you little bitch, unless you want things to get messy then I suggest you leave." He reached back for his sword, eyes never leaving the man.

Summer's former creeper immediately shriveled up at the sight of Qrow's weapon, the man glared daggers at him before stumbling out the door. Once he was finally out of sight Qrow relaxed and sauntered back to his seat. Summer snapped out of her daze of wordlessly followed him back to an empty booth at the corner of the building, several empty glasses littered the table top.

"Aren't you afraid of being kicked out for fighting like that?" Summer asked, slipping into the seat across from him.

"The people here have seen worse altercations." He said, picking up a half-filled cup of alcohol. "That was nothing."

"Yet another reason why I don't like bars." She muttered to herself.

"So when did Raven tell you?"

"Raven didn't tell me anything," she curled her hands into fists. "I guess I was lucky tonight."

Qrow chuckled and took a sip of his drink.

"How long have you been doing this to yourself?" She gestured to the empty glasses littering the table top.

"Once in a while," he shrugged." It's not too bad once ou get used to the hangovers."

Summer snatched the drink out of his hand before he could raise it up to his lips again.

"Now that's just rude," he glared at her.

"Oh, and walking out on us in the middle of a mission isn't rude?" She snapped.

"You know why I had to leave."

"That's not a good excuse!" She slammed her hand onto the table, prompting heads to turn their way.

She sheepishly leaned back into her seat, fingers drumming around the glass cup.

"Geez, if you keep this up we're bound to be kicked out."

"We wouldn't be having this conversation if it weren't for you." She pointed out in a much softer tone. She sighed and lifted the cup up to her own lips, downing what was left of the drink. The alcohol burned on its way down, in a weird way its effect felt refreshing.

"We miss you, Qrow." Summer said, gently placing the empty cup down. "I...I miss you more than I should."

He frowned," I thought we already had this conversation."

"I know," she nodded, remembering the night she spent crying on the rooftop of Beacon Academy. "I also know you're still lying."

He crossed his arms and looked elsewhere in the bar.

"I never forgot the day we learned about your semblance. It was the same day we learned where you and Raven came from."

He peeked over at her with interest. Summer took that as a queue to continue.

"I _think_ it was the first time we took on a large number of Grimm, it was a particularly unlucky battle and that really seemed to bother you. That was also the first time you actively pushed us away and Raven made sure we kept our distance from you." Summer paused.

She remembered how scared she was of losing him that battle and how frustrated she was with Raven when she refused to let them go near Qrow. She never thought that death could be a real possibility until that moment.

"Tai and I had to know what was going on, but you two were so guarded that I wasn't sure we'd get anything out of either of you." She continued," then Tai stepped in and practically confessed to Raven about how he felt. That's what finally broke her and she told us about...everything."

"Yeah, and I gave her shit for it afterward." Qrow nodded to himself proudly.

Summer scowled and kicked him in the shin before responding," you can't blame her, it was probably the first time she was told that someone outside her tribe really cared about her. That must've been shocking, even scary at first."

He rested his arms on the table and leaned forward, "what's your point?"

"My point is that even after learning about your upbringing, the reason you attended Beacon, and your semblance Tai and I both want to be in your lives. We care about you two not in a sense that you're useful in battle, but because you two are basically family. We always have your backs."

Qrow stared at Summer blankly for several seconds. She was half-expecting him to burst into laughter, teasing her for being overly emotional again.

Instead, he smiled," family huh? That's not the word I'd personally use to describe this team."

"I don't know what your definition of family is, but to me it means we care about each other and we'll do everything we can to keep one another on the right path. This sort of love doesn't discriminate."

Lost in the heat of the moment, Summer reached out and grabbed one of his hands. For a short moment in time, the two froze. Summer wanted to dig a hole and hide while Qrow was too shocked to think of a response.

When Summer finally found her composure she tightened her hold on his hand," we...I don't care about your semblance. I don't mind the inconvenience it causes during fights or hangouts."

"You almost died because of me." He reminded her solemnly. "It's not safe for anyone to be near me."

"How many times do I have to say it? I don't care." She looked at his eyes and smiled. "I still like you, bird brain."

"Summer," he sheepishly tore his eyes from hers. She found herself internally awing at the crimson blush on his face.

"I've never seen you blush like this until today." She couldn't help but tease. "Guess every fearless warrior has his weakness." She added with a wink.

"It's just the alcohol," he insisted, rubbing his nose with his free hand. "And I'm pretty sure you're a bit drunk yourself."

"I only had one drink." She deadpanned.

"What can I say? Short people like you can't hold their alcohol." He boasted.

Summer laughed," you can be a real ass sometimes, Qrow."

A group of people burst out laughing somewhere in the bar, causing several patrons to grumble with discontent.

"All joking aside though...I want you to come home. We all really miss you."

"Well according to everything you just said, it seems like you're the only one who really wants me back." He shot back with a smirk.

"W-well obviously," her cheeks instantly warmed at his words. "B-but Tai is still your friend and Raven is still your sister. They'd want you back in their lives as well. So what do you say? If not for them then for me?"

Silence fell heavily between them. Summer could barely look at him during that time. She found herself examining every corner of the bar, her fingers ever so slowly tightening their grip on Qrow's hand.

"Alright, shortcake, you win." Electricity shot up her arm as he squeezed her hand back. "I'll return _but_ I won't hang around you guys for too long. It'll just be best for everyone."

Summer squealed reached over the table to hug him, her sudden movement knocked her empty cup off the table, shattering all over the floor.

"Geez, I've been back for less than three seconds and something bad has already happened." He grumbled.

"It's good to have you back." She buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"It's good to be back." Summer's heart skipped a beat as his arms found their way around her.


	3. Chapter 3

"Aww isn't she the cutest drop of sunshine in the world?"

All of team STRQ was gathered in the living room, surrounding Raven and the newest family member sleeping in her arms.

"Careful, Summer, you might wake her up." Raven chided softly. "It took us forever to calm her down."

"Huh, must take after her father." Qrow pointed out, earning him a punch to the shoulder from Tai.

It's been several years since the team reformed. Throughout that time they've continued their work for Ozpin, risking their lives time after time for new information. When they weren't away on secret missions the team found work in their local town. Tai and Qrow got hired as part-time professors while Raven and Summer took up hunting jobs around the local area.

With a steady flow of cash coming in it was only a matter of time that Raven and Tai finally decided to start their family.

"Does she have a name?" Summer asked.

"Yes, her name is Yang."

"I was the one who chose it." Tai beamed proudly.

Raven rolled her eyes just as baby Yang stirred from her sleep. Summer wanted to jump with excitement when Yang's big purple eyes met hers.

"She'll also be taking on Tai's last name...for obvious reasons." She glanced up at her brother. "If you ever have a kid you should do the same thing."

He snorted," I'm not interested in having a miniature version of myself."

'Damn, that's a shame.' Summer found herself thinking. 'Wait, what am I even saying?!'

Baby Yang giggled loudly at Summer's reddened face. Tai noticed her flushed reaction but chose to stay quiet about it.

"That's why I said _if_ you have a baby. Gods know that no woman is crazy enough to reproduce with you."

That earned a chuckle from Qrow," it's good to see you again, sis."

"So how did the last mission go for you two?" Tai finally asked, sitting on the armrest of Raven's chair. "Did you guys find anything new?"

Seeing as Summer was too busy making faces at the newborn, Qrow answered," we came across a new lead and informed Ozpin about it. I suspect we'll be leaving for another mission soon."

"Already?" Tai's brows raised with surprise. "But you guys just got back home."

"I think Oz let us come home early to see your baby." Summer explained, regaining her serious composure. "As much as we'd like to stay longer there's still a lot of work to do."

"Aren't you two getting tired of running dangerous missions for him?" Raven challenged. "If he was so concerned about the threats to our world then why doesn't he go out and fight himself?"

For the last few months, Raven has been questioning everything Oz has told them. She'd openly challenge the threats and ideas he introduced and went as far as to stay home instead of helping the team on a mission.

Tai shrugged most of her behaviour off as pregnancy hormones, even if her agitation started long before she had Yang.

"You're forgetting that he's in charge of an entire academy, sis. He doesn't have time to disappear for months on end."

"According to your logic, Tai and I should no longer be allowed to go on missions now that we're full-time parents. It's dangerous for us to get more involved in this shit show, yet we all know he'll want one of us out in the field once Yang is a bit older."

Baby Yang cuddled closed to Raven before fluttering her eyes shut. Raven held the infant closer to her chest and added," there's too much at stake now."

"We understand, Raven, but as hunters and huntresses we protect the world from harm." Summer explained, the passion she has for the job shown with every single word. "We put ourselves in more danger than most to protect our loved ones. It's a sacrifice we make to ensure everyone lives a safe and happy life."

"I...suppose you're right."

"Even after all these years, you're still the inspirational leader we all know and love," Tai's comment brought a smile to her lips.

"Or she's just being overly emotional again. I heard babies do that to people." Qrow piped in jokingly.

Summer shot him an icy glare," you jerk." She tried to kick him in the shin, a habit she developed from her prolonged time spent with him, but he dodged just in time.

"Better luck next time, pipsqueak." He winked. Summer folded her arms and stuck her tongue out at him.

"We leave you two alone for several missions and Summer comes back more violent than ever." Tai was grinning from ear to ear at their exchange.

"Not to mention more childish," Raven added with a smile of her own.

"It's not my fault Qrow is such a bad influence."

"Hey, stop blaming me for your own childishness."

"You know I wouldn't be like this if _somebody_ was a little more responsible."

"I'm not a babysitter and no one asked you to see me as a role model."

Qrow and Summer held playful smiles through their exchange, it was yet another habit that the two picked up after Raven and Tai stopped going on missions with them.

"I knew my brother was a bad influence but I didn't think it was this bad." Raven piped in light-heartedly just as her stomach let out a rumbling growl. "Tai, make yourself useful and cook me some soup. I'm feeling a bit hungry."

"Geez, you don't have to be so rude about it. I thought the pregnancy hormone wore off after the baby is born." Raven's eye twitched with annoyance but that went unnoticed by her lover.

"Summer, wanna help me out?"

"Oh, alright." Summer followed Tai out to the kitchen, leaving the Branwen twins alone to do some catching up of their own.

"So," Tai began mischievously as the duo began to prepare the ingredients. "You and Qrow have been spending a lot of time together."

She instantly regretted agreeing to help him out with the food.

"Well, that's what happens when we're assigned to the same missions." She giggled awkwardly.

"Still, it must've been nice to spend so much alone time with him. Especially at night." He nudged her arm and winked. Within seconds Summer's face resembled that of a tomato.

"T-Tai, we're not like that." Summer pulled her hood up to hide her face. "W-we're just friends."

Summer hastily turned on the sink to wash the vegetables, even then she could feel Tai staring down at her.

"Really? You still haven't told him?" He sounded genuinely disappointed.

Tai was the last person she thought she'd be having this conversation with; still, she was grateful he was there to listen.

"I-I mean...he knows and all but it's complicated."

It's true that they are nothing but friends, though ever since their meet up at the bar they've been awfully close to one another. That only escalated once it was just the two of them going for missions. Qrow has been spending a bit more time with her and during those moments he'd have no problem invading her personal space. From playful punches to resting his arm on her shoulder. At one point they even had to share a bed, Summer's thoughts didn't let her have a good sleep that night.

"So he's still hung up about the whole semblance thing, huh?" Tai shook his head." Some things never change."

"I-I mean...we've gotten a lot closer lately," she elaborated, turning the tap off and moving to the chopping board. "I-it doesn't change anything about _us_ but I'm really happy that he's willing to spend more time with me.

"But don't you want to be with him?"

"It's...confusing, Tai." Summer started dicing the ingredients. "When I think we can finally be more than friends he turns around and proves me wrong. I don't know if moving to the next step is a good idea anymore."

"I would tell you to move on but it's kinda hard when you two are constantly seeing each other." Tai glanced at the pot on the stove and back at her, brows furrowed with worry. "I don't know what you see in him, Summer, but this isn't good for your mental state."

"I-I know," she paused midway through dicing a carrot. "I want to set things straight soon, but I'm scared it'll affect our friendship. What should I do?"

"You're asking _me_?" He asked incredulously. "I straight out confessed to Raven in the worst circumstance ever, I think you need to find someone else to talk to."

Summer laughed and proceeded to chop again," maybe it's better if we stay this way. I'm fine if we continue as just friends."

"Are you sure about that?" Tai pressed on. "It's painfully obvious you want more out of...whatever you two have."

"It's better than having nothing, Tai." Summer paused as she nearly sliced her finger. She exhaled and readjusted her hand," it's because I like him that I need to respect what he wants. If he thinks being in a relationship is a bad idea then I won't pursue, but I'll always be here when he's ready."

"I just hope you know what you're doing." Tai's voice dripped with concern. "I don't wanna see you hurt in the future."

"Thanks for worrying about me, Tai, but I'll be okay." She exchanged a brief smile with him before proceeding to dice the next ingredient. "Besides, I know a lot about him now. I know how he is and I think things will change for the better with time."

"Always the optimist." Tai chuckled.

The next few months were the best for team STRQ. Raven and Tai gave their daughter every ounce of attention and love they could muster while Summer and Qrow continued to work for Oz and further strengthened their friendship.

During those rare occasions where the team was reunited, they'd cook and dine together—well almost everyone did. Qrow would only join the group once Yang was safely tucked away in bed, he wanted to ensure nothing bad happened to the infant. When he did join them Tai would bring out the alcohol and they'd drink like they were teens again.

Those happy days were like a rose. Beautiful yet quick to wither away.


	4. Chapter 4

"Shh, it's okay, kiddo." Tai rocked a screaming baby Yang in his arms. "Daddy's got you."

She screamed even louder, seemingly aware that her mother was no longer around.

"Give her to me," Summer offered, ignoring the burning pain in her shoulder from the last mission.

Tai handed his baby over to Summer. She mimicked Tai's actions while humming a lullaby from her childhood. It took some time but Yang finally succumbed to Summer's soothing voice.

"There we go," she pecked Yang on the forehead. Yang cuddled into Summer's chest and closed her eyes.

"You're a real lifesaver," Tai smiled apologetically. "Sorry for all the trouble, especially since you're still recovering."

"It's no problem," she whispered, gently lowering Yang into her crib. "C'mon let's talk elsewhere."

Tai nodded stiffly and proceeded out Yang's room, Summer following close behind. She glanced behind just before leaving, her heart ached for the sweet little angel cuddled under a pile blankets. How anyone had the heart to abandon their child was beyond her.

Summer gently shut the door and proceeded out to the living. Tai collapsed onto the couch and cradled his head in his hands. Summer sat beside him and placed her hand on his back. It was only a matter of time before he succumbed to his heartbreak.

"How are you doing?" She asked gently.

"Horrible," he croaked. "H-how could she just leave us like that?" Summer slightly flinched at his outburst. Tai may have been more expressive than Qrow but she has never seen him break down like this. It was difficult to see such a cheerful person fall into the pits of grief.

Summer wanted to tell Tai everything would be okay, that Qrow would find Raven and bring her home, but she couldn't bring herself to give him false hope. Not even she knew if Raven could be found.

"Why did she leave, Summer? What did I do wrong?"

"I don't think you did anything wrong." Summer assured. "You work endlessly to give Yang and Raven a good life-"

"Then why did she just walk out on us?!" He cried. Summer bit her lower lip, fighting back tears of her own.

"I don't know, Tai. I'm sorry." She pulled him into a hug. "I'm so sorry this happened."

It still felt so surreal. Summer wanted to return to the days when they could just come home and catch up with Tai and Raven over the dinner table, talking and laughing over a cup of beer throughout the night. Now her wish felt more like an unachievable fantasy.

Why did things turn out like this?

"Y-you must be hungry," Tai sniffled, slowly recollecting himself. "Let me make you something to eat."

"N-no that's okay, I'm not-"

"You and Qrow made a long journey back only to find out Raven bailed on us. Now he's out there searching for Raven while you're helping me with Yang. It's the least I can do."

"Are you sure you're up to it?"

"Don't worry about me, Summer." He wiped his eyes try with the back of his hand. "It'll help keep my mind busy for a bit."

"Okay," Summer hesitantly nodded. "Thanks, Tai.

As Tai prepared a simple meal Summer remained seated in the living room, gazing blankly out the window. It was cloudy, the wind was particularly abusive toward the trees today. She felt a pit form in her stomach at the thought of Qrow flying out in that weather, injured and fighting against nature's force. Every second that passed only seemed to further fuel her anxiety. She could hardly breathe.

'What if something happens to him out there? What if he gets caught up with a Grimm? Will he be able to defend himself?' Her paranoia whispered. 'I should've gone out with him. Sure, I'm not in the best condition to fight, but it's better than leaving him alone to fend for himself.'

"Summer?" She snapped out of her panicked thoughts and noticed the peanut butter jelly sandwich held in front of her.

"O-oh, thanks." She took the plate out of Tai's hand and began to munch, even if it was her favourite it had no taste.

"He's going to be okay," Tai said as if reading her mind. He returned to his seat beside her. "Qrow's a tough guy."

"Y-yeah you're right." She took another bite of her sandwich. "He's gonna be alright...we're gonna be alright..."

* * *

Yang's scream was overshadowed by the roaring thunder overhead. Neither Summer nor Tai could manage to calm her down. It was now Tai's turn to comfort the infant, he sang her a lullaby while pacing slowly around the house.

Night fell hours ago and the weather took a turn for the worse. Thunder and lightning now ruled the heavens, rain pelted onto their roof like a thousand bullets. To make matters worse, they have yet to hear from the Branwen twins.

"They're still not back," Summer was standing in front of the window, straining her eyes through the rain and darkness. "Why are they still not back? H-he promised he'd return before sundown."

"It's probably just difficult for him to fly through this storm," Tai said over Yang's screams, though now he sounded less confident than he did before. Another crack of thunder caused Yang to scream her tiny lungs out. Tai averted his full attention to his daughter again.

A flash of lightning lit up the area for a brief second, much to Summer's disappointment she still couldn't see her friends amidst the chaos outside. Without a second thought, she raced into her room, armed herself bolted straight to the front door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tai grabbed her shoulder before she could reach the doorknob.

"I'm going to find Qrow and Raven." Summer said without batting him an eye.

"Have you lost your mind? It's a mess out there." He tightened his hold on Summer. "You can't just throw yourself out in that storm, you could get killed!"

"Two of our friends are out there right now and one of them is injured!" She shot back. "I need to do what I can to look for them!"

"And what if you get lost too?! No offence, Summer, but you aren't exactly in the best position to take on the storm either." Tai retorted.

"Half the team is already missing, I can't lose you too." He reminded her softly. "Please, Summer, don't go out there."

Summer desperately wanted to break free of Tai's grip and run head first into the storm. If it weren't for Yang's fearful screams holding her back she'd be long gone by now.

"Why did everything have fall apart at once?" She pulled her hand out of Tai's grasp and returned to her position by the window. The havoc conjured up by mother nature perfectly mirrored the turmoil she faced in her mind.

"They've been through worse," he assured, though his words felt empty to her ears. "Don't worry too much."

Summer didn't know how long she'd been standing their, motionless and drowning in her own paranoia. At some point, her hand found its way to the hilt of her sword, for once it did not give her the comfort she so desperately needed.

"You should get some sleep," Tai joined her by the window. She noted Yang was now fast asleep in his arms. "I'll wake you up when they come back."

"No, I'm not resting until they return." She stated firmly.

"Summer, you're injured-"

"So is he," she felt tears prickling her eyes. "And for all we know Raven could be hurt too."

Tai peered out the inky window alongside Summer. While the thunder finally ceased the rain and rattling wind seemed to worsen. A flash of lightning lit up their front yard again, this time reigniting a spark of hope. Summer held back a scream at the tall figure limping out from the forest, he was using his sword as a support to stay up. Even Tai seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"See?" He grinned. "I told you your boyfriend was a tough cookie."

Summer didn't bother correcting him. Another flash of lightning revealed Qrow managed to slip and was now lying on the ground. Just shortly behind him was a pair of glowing red eyes.

Summer's adrenaline went into overdrive. She bolted out the house and using all the energy she could muster she blasted into rose petals toward the Grimm. With a blink of an eye her she drew her sword and slashed the bear-like creature on its bulky shoulders. The Grimm cried out in pain while Summer landed on top of a tree. She clenched her teeth and clutched her injured shoulder.

The Grimm gingerly surveyed the area, baring its white teeth in all directions. Forcing herself to ignore the searing pain from her injury, Summer burst into rose petals again. This time she flew past the Grimm, the shockwave that followed her quick movement knocked the creature down and soaked everyone and everything within her proximity in icy cold water.

A battle cry ripped through the air as she lunged at her helpless opponent. With one swift move, she plunged her blade into the Grimm's head. Her opponent gave one last weak cry before falling limp, it's body disintegrating into black particles.

"Shit," she hunched over at the pain ripping from her shoulder and down her back. Knowing her luck the wound was bound to be reopened.

She faintly heard Tai's voice calling to her in the distance. She then remembered why she came out here in the first place. She quickly sheathed her sword and crawled over to the unmoving man ahead of her.

"Qrow," she whimpered once she was by his side. A flash of lightning allowed her to better make out his features. All her worst fears came crashing down on her shoulders at the rose red liquid streaming down his face.

"Don't worry, I got you." She whispered as she his arm around her shoulder. When she attempted to lift them both up she succumbed to her own injury, she fell to her knees and nearly dropped Qrow. He groaned but didn't seem to be fully aware of what was going on.

"I-I'm not going to leave you here," she attempted to hoist him up again failed as she lost her footing on the slippery grass.

"Summer!"

Summer looked up and noticed Tai running toward them with a flashlight.

"Over here!" She cried.

She squinted as Tai shined his light directly on them. Within moments Tai was carrying Qrow back while Summer held onto his sword. The trio stumbled hastily into the house. Tai carefully laid Qrow down on the couch while Summer barely had the strength to close the door behind her. It was then she realized just how cold and heavy her clothes felt. Qrow's sword fell to the floor with a loud clang as Summer collapsed shortly afterwards.

"Summer!" Tai rushed over to her side. His face drained of colour. "Y-you're bleeding."

"It's just an old wound," she said through chattering teeth. "Don't worry about me, do something about Qrow."

He glanced back at the couch and then at Summer.

"Fucking hell I can't do this alone." He shakily unclipped Summer's bloody cape and threw it aside. "S-stay right there."

Tai ran back to his room, returning seconds later with clean blankets in one hand and his scroll in the other. He first draped a blanket over Summer's shivering body before laying one down on Qrow.

Tai, still trembling, hastily turned on his scroll. Just as he was dialing in the number for help it slipped out of his hand and hit the side of a coffee table.

"Shit, shit, shit!" He cried as he attempted to turn on the now broken scroll. Tai's outburst woke baby Yang up, fearful cries sounded from her room.

"Goddammit! Of all the times it could break!" Tai rushed into the kitchen to presumably use the home phone. His footsteps disappeared into Yang's room.

Summer hugged the blanket close to her body but it failed to provide her with any warmth. She cursed and forced herself up, legs trembling under her weight. She gritted her teeth and stumbled to the couch where Qrow laid, once there she allowed herself to fall.

Qrow remained motionless if it weren't for his shallow breaths Summer would be sure he was dead. Blood continued to stream down from the gash in his head. Summer didn't think twice to wipe the excess runoff from his face. Her touch managed to draw him out of unconsciousness, he groaned and stirred under the blankets.

"Don't move," she ordered him softly. "You're injured badly."

At the sound of her voice, he squinted his eyes open and turned to look at her. A faint smile touched his lips.

"Huh, so I made it-" he was cut off by a cough. He visibly cringed from pain.

"I-it's okay," she whispered to him. "Everything will be okay, now." Pain clutched Summer's heart at the sight of his suffering. If it were possible, she'd be more than happy to trade places with him.

"It's so hard to see you like this," she sniffled, her hand gently stroking his hair. "What happened out there?"

"Don't...don't tell Tai." He pleaded weakly. "Raven...she's returning to our tribe."

"What?" Summer whisper-screamed. "But your tribe i-is full of..."

"Murderers," he finished for her. "Trust me, I tried talking her out of it but she didn't listen. Just gave me some bullshit about returning to her real family."

"N-no..." Summer pictured poor Yang growing up without a loving mother by her side. She could only imagine the pain Yang would go through when she learned why Raven is no longer around.

"I'm sorry, Summer." He said once he noticed her breaking into tears. "I tried...I really tried."

"It's not your fault," she answered in between sobs.

"She of all people should know what it's like to grow up without loving parents." He continued bitterly. "Can't believe that bitch would do the same thing to her own kid."

"Qrow, y-you shouldn't be so disrespectful to Raven. She's still your twin sister."

"Oh yeah? Well, she doesn't consider me her twin brother anymore." He spoke in a barely audible voice.

"E-excuse me?" Summer felt like she just got hit with a bunch of bricks. "Y-you're kidding, right?"

He closed his eyes," I wish I was, shortcake. How do you think I ended up like this?"

While Summer never had any siblings of her own, she couldn't imagine the hurt someone would go through knowing their own brother or sister rejected them as family—especially if they were a twin sibling.

"I'm sorry," she hiccuped. "I-I'm so very sorry."

"Don't be," fluttered his eyes open again. "It's not like she's dead or anything."

Tai walked out of Yang's room with the phone still against his ear. "Yes, I already told you we leave on the outskirts of town! No, it isn't _there_!" He took a quick peek at them and then headed into the kitchen. "No, I can't calm down! One of my friends is on the verge of death and the other one possibly needs new stitches!"

"So you reopened your back wound, huh?" Qrow commented with a humourless chuckle. "Even when I'm unconscious-"

"It's not your fault," she replied in an instant. "I was being a bit reckless while fighting a Grimm."

"Summer, you've got to stop covering for my semblance." He grinned tiredly. "They don't call me a bad luck charm for nothing."

"You're the only one who calls yourself that." She rested her head beside his. "You're _my_ good luck charm."

"I thought you agreed to stop using cheesy one-liners."

"You know you love them."

"Nah, they cramp my style."

"Liar."

They fell into a comfortable silence. Summer snuggled her head further into the couch cushion and closed her eyes, fingers still mindlessly playing with Qrow's hair. Her heart skipped a beat the moment she felt his lips on her forehead. Her face heated up like up like stove.

'Did he just...? Am I dreaming or am I in heaven?' She thought as the blush on her cheeks deepened.

"Huh, I expected more of a reaction from you." He spoke after several seconds of silence.

'Yup, I'm definitely dreaming.'

"I-I thought you said we were only friends." She mumbled so quietly that she wasn't sure if he heard her.

"I never said we were anything more than friends." He pointed out.

"Then why?"

"You know the answer."His answer sent a shockwave of warmth through her chest.

Summer had never felt so happy and angry in her life. A part of her wanted to shower him with kisses while another part wanted to strangle him.

"How long?" She questioned tightly.

"For a long time now."

Summer shifted her head to meet his eyes. Their faces were inches away from one another.

"Why did you wait so long to tell me?" She challenged. "W-we could've been a thing. I-I wouldn't have spent so much time wondering if we could work out or not."

"You know the relationship would be difficult, Summer." He answered calmly. "It's because I care about you that I don't want you to be with me. I'd rather have you safe with someone else."

"I hate you sometimes." She felt fresh tears prickling her eyes. Ironically, it was this overprotective and caring nature of his that caused her to fall for him in the first place.

He smiled and kissed her on the forehead again, "you can't hate me forever, shortie."

Something shattered in the kitchen, sending Tai into another frenzy. Once again the sudden noise roused Yang from her sleep.

"Why now?" Summer continued to interrogate. "If you wanted to keep me safe like you said then why bother telling me now?"

"To be completely honest, I don't know if I can make it out of this alive."

"Don't say things like that." She chided, she couldn't—wouldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. "W-we can get through this together. I-I know we can."

"It's looking pretty bad for me, Summer." He grunted as he turned his body to face her. It wasn't until he pointed it out that she noticed just how gaunt he looked.

She didn't think twice to snuggle closer to him, their foreheads resting on one another. The weight of Raven's betrayal, Yang's loss of a mother, Tai's heartbreak, and Qrow's potential demise all fell onto Summer's back like a boulder. Her world was breaking apart.

"You can't just leave me like this." She choked. "Not after what you told me."

"Even if I do survive, you know there's no chance we can have a functioning relationship."

"At least you wouldn't be six feet under the fucking ground." She felt the last of her composure breaking with that response.

"I-it isn't fair," she continued to cry. "I-I hate that you actively try to push me away. A-and now that I learn the truth..."

The blanket around her shoulders slipped off but she didn't care. She could barely breathe under all her sobs.

"I just look after you in different ways." His voice was growing quieter, drawing more tears from Summer's eyes.

"Keep fighting, Qrow. Please keep fighting." She leaned in and pecked him on the lips. "I love you, stupid."

"That's a pretty strong word to use, shortcake." He grinned weakly at her.

"After this long, I think I deserve to use it." She forced a smile onto her own quivering lips.

"Me too."

She closed the distance between them once again, this time he gently kissed her back.


	5. Chapter 5

**You know who's awesome? You are! Thanks for taking the time to read this random story I came up with!**

* * *

"Momma!" Yang pointed to Summer with a chocolate covered finger.

"Oh dear, Yang, you got your face all dirty again." Summer promptly wet a towel and wiped it across Yang's cheeks. "There, all better."

It's been several months since Qrow escaped death by the skin of his teeth. Since then Ozpin has let the duo rest and recover. Qrow resumed teaching while Summer stayed at home working as a full-time mom for Yang, neither were complaining about their new positions.

"Momma! Cookie!" Yang squealed at the new batch of steaming cookies sitting on the tray.

"You've had enough, young lady." Summer chided, though no anger could be detected in her voice. "These are for your dad and uncle Qrow."

"Poppa!" Yang clapped her hands excitedly at the mention of Tai. There was no doubt she'd be close to her father in the future.

Admittedly, it felt a bit strange for Yang to refer to Summer as _momma_ , especially after her heartfelt confession to Qrow. Tai, however, doesn't seem to be too bothered with Summer's new maternal status, he seemed more content with Yang having a mother-figure to look up to.

Summer hummed to herself as she finished cleaning the rest of the dirty dishes. When she looked out the kitchen window she noticed a lone crow perched on one of the trees, it tilted its head once it noticed her looking. She grinned from ear to ear and turned her attention back to Yang.

"Okay, Yang, I think it's time for you to nap." She scooped the whining girl into her arms and carefully navigated back to her room.

Once she tucked Yang safely back to bed she jogged back to the kitchen and peered out the window, happy to still see the crow there. She threw the windows wide open and called out to the bird," she's safe in her room!"

The crow perked its head up at her voice and dove toward the window. She stepped aside for the bird to fly into the house.

"You're home awfully early today." She said, closing the windows.

"Geez, don't be too eager to welcome me back," Qrow said once he transformed back to his human form.

"Did some kid set the school on fire again?"

"Nah, I just got a bit of a freebie today." He locked his attention onto the cookies still cooling on the tray. "And I came home right on time."

"Wait, they're still-"

"Shit!" He pulled his hand back the instant it made contact with the tray.

"Hot..." Summer puffed her cheek with annoyance and slapped his arm. "How many times do I have to tell you to not swear in the house?"

"Sorry, it was an accident." He said, studying his burnt fingers.

She grabbed his hand and held it under the sink "What will you do without me?" She sighed, turning on the cold water.

"I'd probably be at a bar trying to hook up with a cute bartender."

Summer smashed her elbow into his stomach," you know there isn't anyone cuter than me."

"You got me there, shortcake." He whispered into her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

Even if he insisted they _still_ were nothing more than friends it's been blatantly obvious that they've gotten very comfortable with each other. Though it was a different story when they were in public or when Tai was home, once they were alone; however, neither was shy from flirting and an occasional kiss. Maybe it was because they were now aware of each other's feelings or perhaps something is finally starting to bloom between them. Whatever the reason may be Summer was quite content with how things were going.

"Now how about I call you when the cookies are safe to approach, oh brave hunter?" Summer teased after she finished running his fingers in cold water.

"Very funny," he grunted.

"I do what I can to keep you safe," she pecked him on the cheek. "So what will you do for the rest of the day?"

"I'll be outside sharpening my sword, some damned kid decided to play around with it when I wasn't looking."

"You being away from your sword?" Summer arched her brow skeptically. "Now that's unusual."

"I wasn't expecting some brat to swing it around like a madman." He defended sharply. "Just yell out the window or something, I'll come flying in as usual. Oh, but make sure-"

"Yang is safe in her room." Summer finished, rolling her eyes. She'd heard him say that to her so many times it's been permanently engrained in her head. "You're gonna have to interact with her one day. If you stay away like this she's gonna think _Uncle Qrow_ is some paranoid person we made up."

"I'll do that once she's old enough to run from danger." He answered while heading out. "And I'm not paranoid, just careful."

"Same thing." Summer called out just as the door clicked shut behind him.

With the house to herself again, Summer proceeded to finish her daily chores. When cookies were safe enough to retrieve out of the tray, she meticulously picked the four of the biggest cookies for Qrow. Instead of calling out to him from the window, she decided to hand deliver the sweets to him.

Fresh spring air greeted Summer as she stepped out from the cramped house. She cheerfully threaded her way to the back of the house where the team would usually fix up their weapons, the soft emerald grass tickled her bare feet with each step.

The sound of something slicing through thin air barely caught Summer's attention. She paused and like a dying flame, her blissful mood was extinguished. She held her breath and strained her ears to pick up on further sounds.

'Maybe it was just the wind.' She desperately tried to assure herself.

Another series of swings rippled through the air, each slice cutting a piece of Summer's hope down. She clenched her teeth and tiptoed the rest of her way toward the sounds. When she peeked out from behind the house she saw Qrow standing with his back facing her, his scythe held firmly in hand.

Oblivious to her presence he proceeded to slice through a made up enemy, his movements quick and precise.

She didn't need to see any more. Summer gingerly tiptoed back to the kitchen and threw the windows open.

"Breathe," she instructed to herself. Once she was sure she'd regained her composure she called out to Qrow as loud as she could.

Just as he promised, Qrow flew in from the window.

"You're looking awfully tired from something as easy as sharpening a sword." She noted nonchalantly. "Guess you're slowly losing your touch."

"Hey, it's not like teaching keeps me in shape or anything." He answered so genuinely it plunged the thorn deeper into Summer's heart.

"Still, it's not that extraneous to do." She recklessly blurted, though he didn't seem to catch the edge on her voice.

"You don't get to judge. I have to keep a giant sword _and_ scythe in perfect condition." He grabbed one of the cookies on the plate and took a bite.

"Well, it's not like you need your scythe for anything right now so-"

"Yeah, yeah," he waved his hand dismissively. "The cookie tastes great by the way, although they are a bit cold."

"Sorry...I lost track of time while cleaning up."

* * *

"That's the worst part about teaching. Even if the kid is dumb as a pile of rocks you can't give them a good yelling. Like seriously, why do we have to be nice to so many dumb people?"

Tai was in the middle of ranting about his long day at work to Qrow and Summer over the dining table. Yang was asleep in bed so he was free to vent without having to worry about caring for his young daughter.

"If you hate it so much then why not just quit?" Qrow asked bluntly.

"I actually like teaching, unlike a certain _someone_." He pointed his finger accusingly at Qrow.

"Guilty as charged," he raised his hand up lazily. "Although speaking of quitting..."

Summer's hands balled into fists under the table. She forced herself to look over at him and arched her brow," you're not actually quitting, right?"

"Well...not exactly."

Summer found it harder and harder to breathe with each second that went by.

"You see I got a visitor today," he swallowed. "Oz specifically."

"Oh," Tai looked down at his hands. "Already, huh?"

"When?" Summer spoke up tightly.

"Tomorrow, it's a bit of an urgent mission. Seems like Salem might be acting up again."

Qrow got out of his seat and wordlessly filled a cup with water. Summer's jawline tightened and she dropped her gaze down on the table.

"I made some special arrangements this time around," Qrow added, taking a sip of tap water.

Tai perked his head up with interest while Summer dug her nails into her palms. She knew what was coming but she didn't want to hear it. If she heard it'd mean she would have to accept it as truth.

"Since Yang is still young we need someone here to help look after her." He took a bigger gulp of water. "I'll be going alone."

It took all of Summer's willpower to keep herself from screaming at him. He'd just recently escaped death and now he's practically volunteering to walk straight into the enemy's blade.

Tai's chair scraped against the floor. "What?! Have you lost some brain cells since you started teaching stupid people?" Tai snapped at his friend.

"Quiet, Tai, you don't want to wake Yang up." Qrow chided softly.

Tai fell back into his chair with a thump," facing Salem alone is suicide. Was Ozpin okay with this?"

"Not at first, but after explaining our circumstance he agreed to let me go."

"Then what about Summer? Does she even know about this?"

"No," Summer spoke before Qrow got the chance to. She looked up at him, glaring daggers.

He snapped his head away from the table and peered out the window," Summer, you'd absolutely be against this idea. That's why I didn't want to bring it up earlier."

"She has every right to know, Qrow. She also has the freedom to choose-"

"Look this isn't just about her, me or any of us." Qrow cut Tai off promptly. "This is about giving Yang a family to grow up with."

"For the love of—can you hear the words coming out of your mouth?" Tai shot up from his seat and was on the verge of shouting. "You're saying you want Summer and I to raise a child together? If anything I should be telling you two that."

"Use your god damn brain, Tai." Qrow stomped toward Tai. "You two may not be a thing but to Yang, Summer _is_ her mother. And no one here wants to see that child lose another mom!"

Tai stared wide-eyed at Qrow. Summer also found herself speechless. What he said was true, but that didn't make it any less difficult to accept.

Tai ran his fingers through his hair," look, I'm not gonna discuss your relationship with Summer. I'll let you two sort it out. Right now I need to know why you're so desperate to throw yourself into danger. Can't you ask Oz to hire some other hunter to do this?"

"I can't just stand here and do nothing, not after all the things we've seen her make," Qrow answered as calmly as he could. "Besides, it'll be safer for everyone if I'm not around often."

Tai scratched his chin feverishly," so this is it? You're just gonna walk out on us like Raven did?"

"Don't compare me to my sister." Qrow warmed through closed teeth. "She abandoned us because she couldn't figure her own shit out."

"And you're abandoning us to pursue something _you_ think is right, something that's worth more than keeping this team together. You two are ripping our _family_ apart. I don't see a fucking difference."

"Are you saying that our fight with Salem isn't right?"

"No!" Tai slammed his hand on the table. "What I'm fucking saying is that-"

Yang's cries cut Tai off. Worry coloured his face," look, you can leave for all I fucking care." Tai hardened his expression once more. "But I hope you know who you're hurting."

With one last nasty look, he hurried to his daughter's side. A thick, heavy tension fell onto Qrow and Summer's shoulder. Neither of them wanted to meet each other's eyes, neither found the courage to do so.

It was Summer who broke the silence first," do you hate me that much?" Her voice was barely audible even to her.

"What?"

"I asked if you hate me," she elaborated, fists shaking by her side.

"Summer, I don't hate-"

"Then why do you keep torturing me like this?!" She screamed, prompting Yang to cry louder down the hall.

Qrow reluctantly took over Tai's seat," if Raven were here then maybe this would've gone down differently. Look...I'm sorry it has to come down to this, but this is the best choice for everyone."

Summer shyly peeked at him. He didn't seem angry anymore nor did he appear to be scared for his upcoming mission. He was just tired.

"Things are different now. Raven has chosen a different path, Tai has a child to look after, and you are a mom to that said child's eyes. Summer, it's time to settle down and live a safer life."

"And what about you?" She challenged. "Don't you want that too?"

"It's not my sort of thing." He shrugged. "I'd rather protect you guys from the battlefield. Isn't that something you said before? We put our lives in danger to protect the ones we care about—or something like that?"

" _This_ isn't what I was referring to."

"Are you sure? 'Cause either way one or both of us will be busting our asses off to keep everyone safe. I'd prefer if it were just me." It felt nauseating to have her own words turn against her. Summer clenched her teeth and folded her arms, refusing to admit he was right. "Summer, you may not agree with it but I'll look after you in my own way. I'm doing this so you can be spared the burden of...everything."

"And how can I live a happy life if you die out there?" She was practically plunging a dagger into her own heart at this point. "H-how can you expect me to live knowing you got slaughtered and died alone...?"

"You grieve and then you move on. Either way, that last part is what you should strive for." She hated how he made it sound so simple. "If I do die, make sure to tell Yang and your future kid how awesome I was."

A ghostly smile stretched across her lips, though her bleeding heart could not share the same content. Summer got up from her seat and circled around to Qrow. He visibly froze when she dropped onto his lap.

"Umm-"

"Do you love me?" She asked, staring directly into his eyes.

"I thought we already went over this?" He slightly relaxed under the weight of his own confusion.

"That was before, I want to know how you feel now." She cupped his face with one hand. "So do you love me?"

Neither moved nor spoke for several seconds, further fuelling the tension between them. Summer; however, was determined to stay where she was until she got a definitive answer from him. Summer felt electricity shoot up her body when a pair of hands rested on her hips.

"Yeah," he said finally, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I still love you."

"You have a really funny way of showing it." She replied, planting a small kiss on his lips. "I still love you too."

"I hope that wasn't your attempt to bribe me to stay." He kissed her softly. "Although it's _really_ tempting."

She giggled," I know you better than that, birdbrain."

"So...was that your way of saying you're not mad at me?"

"No, I'm quite angry with you at the moment." She snaked her hands behind his neck. "But I also don't want you to leave on a bad note. So—"she inched her face closer to his"—can we pretend everything is normal for just one night and love...without restraint?"

"Just this once," he whispered before meeting her lips with his.

Neither of them got any sleep that night. They both knew very well this could've been the last time they'd be together, possibly the last time they'd see one another alive. It was the only night their boundaries fell apart, the only time they could pretend the dangers outside didn't exist. It was a night neither could ever forget.

By the time the sun rose Summer was alone in bed with her heart torn in two.


	6. Chapter 6

" _Mommy!" Yang burst into Summer's room and bounced onto her bed, stirring the red bundle in her arms._

 _"Now, Yang, what did I tell you about using your indoor voice?" Tai chided on his way in. He had a vase of pink roses in hand._

 _Ignoring her father, Yang crawled beside Summer and peered down at the newborn infant. The baby sleepily blinked her silver eyes open and looked over at her sister._

 _"This is your new baby sister." Summer said to Yang softly. "Why don't you say hi to her?"_

 _"Hi," Yang waved eagerly at the baby._

 _"She looks adorable, Summer," Tai commented as he placed the flowers by her bedside. "Did you give her a name yet?"_

 _Summer shook her head," I want it to be something special for the both of us."_

 _Tai hummed and peered down at her baby," well she looks an awful lot like you right now, but I doubt you'd wanna call her Summer Jr. Why don't you call her Autumn?"_

 _Summer raised her brow at his choice of name._

 _"Y'know...Summer and then Autumn...?"_

 _"I don't think so," she deadpanned._

 _The baby in her arms squealed with laughter as Yang playfully stuck her tongue out._

 _"Then how about Robyne or Teal?"_

 _"I do like the name Teal but it doesn't seem to fit her." Summer narrowed her eyes thoughtfully._

 _'It's true that she looks a lot like me, though that could change when she gets a bit older. In case she doesn't I'd still want her to have something that resembles her father.'_

 _Summer absentmindedly peered at the roses. T_ _hey were a dark hue of pink, not red like she prefers it to be. A faint memory of her past flashed in her head—a hospital room and a vase and red roses._

 _"I think I got it." She smiled at the flowers before returning her eyes to the baby. "Ruby. I'll call her Ruby."_

 _"Ruby Rose." Tai tested the name out loud to himself. "It fits her perfectly."_

 _"Did you hear that, little one?" Summer spoke to her daughter softly. "Your name is Ruby Rose. I hope you like it."_

 _"Ruby!" Yang repeated excitedly. Her loud outburst prompted baby Ruby to cry._

 _"Okay, kiddo, I think it's time we let mommy and Ruby rest," Tai said to Yang._

 _"But daddy," Yang pouted. Tai shook his head and pointed firmly at the door._

 _Yang peered at Ruby one last time before abiding her father's order._

 _"I'll come back later with some food." He added to her quietly. "Take it easy for now. If you need anything just call me."_

 _"Tai, thanks for being here for us." Summer replied with a cheeky smile._

 _"Of course," he pecked her on the head. She bit back the urge to berate him as today was a very special day. "I'll see you in a bit, Summer."_

 _"Y-yeah..."_

 _That night, Tai was helping Summer with baby Ruby. As her cries were slowly calming, she noticed a blackbird perched on the window. Instinctively she grew quiet and gazed back at the bird, a smile touched her lips as the bird tilted its head at her._

 _Tai, oblivious of the exchange, took that as a queue to deliver Ruby back to Summer's room._

* * *

"Yang, don't wander too far." Summer called out to the blonde inching closer to the tree lines.

Today was the perfect condition to let Yang burn off some extra energy outdoors, something which Yang seemed to have an endless supply of. Summer used this as an excuse to relax in the great outdoors with both her daughters. While Yang was free to run and play within specific boundaries, Ruby was strapped to Summer's chest where she could see her.

"But, mommy." Yang pointed at the forest eagerly.

"We can go for a walk through the forest once your father gets home." Summer said with hands on her hips. "Now come back or we're going inside."

Yang stared at the forest longingly before angrily stomping back. Once Summer had seen Yang returning to a safe distance away from the tree lines she resumed pacing around the front yard.

She looked down at Ruby who was peering curiously at the clouds dotting the cerulean sky.

"They look fluffy don't they?" Summer said, looking up with her daughter.

"Hmm...that cloud sorta looks like a bunny." She pointed at a particular white mass overhead. "And that one looks like...a bird."

A tinge of pain wrapped itself around her heart as phantom memories played through her head. She'd sometimes catch herself staring mindlessly at the sky, wondering if he was up there looking after them.

"When you're older I'm going to tell you all about him." She promised Ruby. "You're going learn just how awesome he was. Of course, we'll have a talk with Yang as well, but you deserve to know first."

Regardless, Summer knew that conversation was going to be tough on both girls. The simple thought of it already stirred the seeds of agitation.

"Mommy!" Yang's panicked voice snapped Summer back to reality. She frantically scanned the yard until she spotted a tiny blonde girl running away from the tree lines, four hungry red eyes trailed closely behind her.

Summer cursed and dashed toward Yang, one hand cradled Ruby while the other reached for her sword. As if knowing the risk her sister was in, Ruby began to cry.

"M-mommy!" Yang practically latched herself onto Summer's leg when they met up. Summer stumbled at the abrupt embrace but managed to find her footing.

She glared at the Grimm emerging from the forest," Yang, I need you to do mommy a huge favour." She knelt down and unstrapped Ruby. "Take Ruby and run back home. Go to your special hide and seek spot and stay there until mommy or daddy gets you." She handed the crying infant to Yang who looked equally as distraught.

Summer sprung up to her feet and drew her sword," go, Yang!"

Yang was hesitant at first, but she obliged none the less. Summer fell into a fighting stance and readied to defend herself. She knew her body wasn't ready to fight, but she'll be damned if she let Yang and Ruby get hurt. The least she can do now is to give them enough time to hide.

One of the Grimm lunged at her, Summer leaped back and swung at the creature. Her blade sliced across the Grimm's face though it wasn't enough to kill.

The second Grimm took this as a queue to attack. Summer sidestepped and swiftly aimed her blade down on the creature's neck, cutting the head clean off. Before she could regain her footing the second Grimm jumped on her. She barely blocked the attack with her sword, unfortunately, its heavy weight coupled with her poor stance forced her down to her knees.

"Mommy!" Summer took a quick glance back. Yang was still standing just outside the front door with a crying Ruby in her hands, she watched the fight with eyes wide with terror.

'I can't die here!' Summer screamed to herself internally. 'Not when they're still in danger!'

Summer grit her teeth and pushed back the Grimm. Her burning arms trembled under its weight but the stubborn huntress refused to give in.

Yang's scream pierced the air like a bullet. Before Summer knew it, the Grimm had gone limp and was breaking into dust before her. She pushed the body off, instantly noting that it'd been cut in half.

"You're a bit out of touch since the last time we spoke." A familiar voice spoke to her from behind—the world seemed to freeze.

She held her breath and turned toward the voice. For a split second, she thought she was dreaming. There he was, safely standing by her side with his massive scythe held in both hands. A roller coaster of emotions coursed chaotically through her head, she wasn't sure if she should be celebrating, yelling or crying at this point.

"I must say—"with a flip of a switch Qrow's scythe reverted back to a sword"—you don't look too different. Well...maybe you gained some weight but still."

She managed to smile in response," s-seriously? The first thing you do is to call me fat?"

"I never said that, stop putting words in my mouth." He held out his hand to her, Summer eagerly took it.

"That's what you were implying." She pointed out as he pulled her up. She sheathed her sword and promptly dusted herself off.

"Geez, Summer, I come down here to save you from a Grimm and you repay me by accusing me of being mean. Some friend you are." A playful smile remained on his lips as he said those words.

Summer rolled her eyes before pulling him into a deep embrace. She felt him stiffen but she didn't care. What mattered now was that he was still alive; safe in her arms.

"Y'know I was half-expecting you to slap the shit out of me instead." He hesitantly wrapped his free arm around her.

"You're not wrong about that, bird brain." She snuggled into his chest and closed her eyes. It felt like ages since she'd done that."We all thought you died out there. Why didn't you call us or give us a sign that you're still alive?"

"I'm a busy guy, Summer. Besides, Oz would be the first to tell you if something happened to me."

"Oh, so you have time to call Ozpin but not us?"

"Mommy!" Yang piped in before he could reply. The two warriors reluctantly let go of each other as the young blonde waddled toward them with tears still dancing in her eyes.

"Yang," Summer knelt down to Yang's eye level and gently took Ruby out of her hands, she seemed to have cried herself to sleep. "Why didn't you hide like I told you to?"

Yang didn't reply, instead, she tackled Summer with a bear hug. Baby Ruby stirred from her slumber and screamed into Summer's ear. She heard Qrow chuckle as she struggled to comfort both her distraught daughters.

"Well, I shouldn't bother you for too long."

Summer's hand shot out and grabbed onto his ankle." And where exactly do you think you're going?"

"Far away from you and those two children."

"You just got home," she reasoned. "Why don't you just sit down with us for a bit and catch up?"

"Summer, you know I don't like being around kids. Besides I have a new mission to attend to."

"Please?" Summer added softly. "For me?"

A gentle breeze trailed by, rustling the leaves on the nearby trees.

Qrow grunted something under his breath before responding," fine."

Smiling contently, Summer let go of his leg and proceeded to attend to her girls again. Qrow lazily dropped his sword beside her before collapsing into the grass. He kept to himself as she reassured Yang that everything was okay.

"Hey, Yang," Summer gently peeled the young blonde off once she calmed down. "There's someone really special who wants to meet you."

She could feel his glare burning holes through the side of her head, she chose to ignore his looks and continued," it's good ol' Uncle Qrow!"

She gestured Yang at Qrow's direction. Yang blinked at him and then averted her gaze down at his gleaming sword. Qrow took that as a queue to put his weapon away.

"First off, I'm not old. Secondly, I don't remember volunteering to babysit."

"I know. You took up my offer to catch up and that's exactly what you'll do." She gently pushed Yang toward him. "It's time you caught up with your niece. It's only fair she knows her awesome Uncle is real." Summer pointed out matter-of-factly.

"Uncle?" Yang tilted her head at Qrow.

"Yes, he's your uncle." Summer beamed. "Remember when I told you about the clumsy cookie man?"

"Excuse me?"

Yang's eyes lit up at the sound of her favourite sweets," cookie!" She waddled over to Qrow with arms wide open.

"Wait, what kind of lies have you been spreading about me? A-and can you do something about her?" Qrow was scooting further and further away from Yang who was determined to give her cookie hero a hug.

"Oh calm down," Summer giggled. "Nothing bad will happen to her, not when she has two warriors looking out for her."

"Summer, you know better than-" he was promptly cut off when Yang jumped into his arms.

"Cookie! Cookie! Cookie uncle!" Yang screamed into Qrow's face.

He blinked at Yang, completely clueless on what he should say to the child. Yang, however, was not deterred by his lack of response. Instead, she found interest in his facial hair and proceeded to play with his face, pulling and squishing his cheeks like clay. Qrow looked over at Summer, silently pleading for her help. Though it was quite hard to take him seriously with all the goofy expressions Yang was forcing onto his face.

"You seem perfectly fine to me, oh brave cookie hunter." She snickered.

She watched as he practically had to pull Yang off him, holding her at a safe distance away from his face. Summer burst into fits of laughter at the Yang's attempt to reach her Uncle again.

"You're only laughing because she isn't terrorizing you." He frowned.

"Oh stop being overdramatic. I think she likes you."

Qrow raised his brow which seemed to cause Yang to laugh.

"Oh, so you think that's funny huh?" He spoke to Yang who was tearing up from all her laughing. "Well let's see how you think of this!"

Yang howled even louder in response to his tickling, her joy even cracked a smile on Qrow's face. Yang wiggled out of her uncle's hands and clumsily ran away, dropping onto the grass seconds later to finish her laughing fit.

"See? Was that so bad?"

"She did attack my personal space," he said with the same grin on his face. "But I guess she isn't too bad."

The duo watched as Yang found something of interest in the grass, presumably a bug. She rolled onto her stomach she poked at it with her finger.

"And what about this little one in your arms?" He pointed to a now sleeping Ruby. "Is she Yang's sister or did you finally meet someone nice at a bar one night."

"You know I don't like going to places like that." Summer peered down at her child and bit her lip. "And...to answer your question...y-yeah she's Yang's sister."

Qrow wordlessly readjusted himself on the grass. "Huh, I knew Tai had game but I didn't think he was that good. Guess I underestimated him." He finally spoke up, voice empty of emotion.

"Are you...mad?"

"Why would I be mad? I asked you to move on didn't I?" He answered all the while without looking at her.

She held Ruby closer to her chest," A-are you sure?"

He scratched his chin," well I'm a _bit_ surprised at how fast you two went. Though that's to be expected when you're living and raising a child together."

Guilt wrapped its bulky fingers around Summer's shoulders, weighing her down like a boulder. The only thing standing between her and freedom was the web of lies she'd weaved.

"Qrow..." Her voice sounded dry. Weak. "Will you...can you hold her?"

"Wow slow down there," he held his hands up in defeat. "Dealing with Yang is one thing but holding a baby is another. What if I drop her; or another Grimm comes walking by?"

"It'll only be for a couple of minutes." Summer insisted in a heartbeat. "I'll be right here if anything goes wrong."

He slowly lowered his hands and studied Summer intensely. Dread clutched her breath; had she said too much? Was he able to cut through her string of lies?

"I don't understand why, though." Qrow finally spoke. His answer freed the invisible hand holding her breath.

"You're gonna be gone for who knows how long after this, and I can't be sure if you'll return home the next time." She elaborated curtly. "I just want you to meet her before you go."

"I'm a bit disappointed that you have such little faith in me—"he reluctantly scooted closer to Summer"—but when you put it that way I feel like an ass for not agreeing."

After showing Qrow the proper way to cradle his arms, Summer gingerly transferred her baby over to him. He sat stiff as a rock at first until Ruby stirred from her slumber and blinked her eyes open. A cheeky smile touched Ruby's face the instant she got a good look at him. It was as if she saw through her mother's deception.

Qrow visibly relaxed at her reaction," at least she didn't burst out crying. What's her name?"

"Ruby. Ruby Rose." Summer replied, peering over his shoulder.

"She's taking on your last name?"

"Yeah, it rolls off the tongue easier." She answered almost instantly. He was too focused on the baby to notice.

"Well then, nice to meet you, Ruby." He greeted the wide-eyed infant.

On the outside Summer was smiling along with Qrow as Ruby snuggled herself closer to him. It was a different story in the back of her mind. The guilt on her shoulders seemed to grow heavier the more she realized just how perfectly Ruby fit in his arms; how calm and happy Qrow appeared to be in her presence. This was the moment she'd always dreamed of, yet she couldn't enjoy it with her morals chastising her.

A part of her longed to tell him the truth while the other warned her about the consequences of telling him. She didn't want to lose him for good.

"Okay, pipsqueak, it's time for you to return to your mom." Summer barely snapped out of her thoughts in time to retrieve Ruby back.

"Leaving so soon?" She didn't attempt to hide her disappointment.

"Yeah, I don't wanna stick around here too long." He didn't need to explain for Summer to understand. "I know you have your hands full but take care of yourself too. You can't neglect your health."

"You sound more like a mom than me," she pointed out with a genuine grin. "You should visit us sometime. I want to hear about your missions and I'm sure Yang would love to play with you again."

"I'll think about it." He grunted as he stood up. "Good luck with the family, shortcake. I'll catch you around some other time."

"Take care of yourself, bird brain."

With a blink of an eye, he was gone, leaving behind a single black feather.


	7. Chapter 7

**Next chapter will be out a bit later. It's a lengthy chapter so prepare your butts when I finish editing.**

 **Thanks to everyone who's supporting this story!**

* * *

"Yang, how many times do I have to tell you? No punching in the house. And, Ruby, I can see you trying to steal that cookie."

Summer had her hands full with cleaning and her girls were particularly active today; every mom's nightmare. Yang recently witnessed her dad fight a Grimm and was instantly drawn to his fighting style. She'd often play fight with Ruby and when her sister refused to play along Yang would brawl against their furniture. Ruby, on the other hand, was always determined to satisfy her sweet tooth.

"Mom, when dad gets home can you two fight?" Yang requested, leaping upon one of the dining room chairs.

Summer found herself laughing at her request," I'll think about it only if you promise to stop jumping up on chairs."

Yang groaned and lazily hopped off.

Even at a young age, Yang was still a splitting image of her mother. If it weren't for Tai's traits she wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

"Mommy," Summer felt a tug on her shirt. She looked down to see a miniature version of herself, with slightly darker hair, staring back with puppy dog eyes. "Can I please have a cookie?"

"Ruby, I already told you no." She answered curtly. "You can have one _if_ you finish all your vegetables tonight."

Ruby didn't seem too happy with the deal," but can I have one now?"

Summer groaned internally," if you keep asking I won't give you one at all today."

Ruby's eyes widened in horror.

"Now go play with your sister, I still have a lot of work to do."

As if on queue Yang ran over and scooped Ruby up in her arms," c'mon, sis, let's go fight our toys."

"But...but...cookies." She heard Ruby complain as Yang carried her off.

Summer sighed," of all the things she inherited why does it have to be your stubbornness?" She peered out the window and frowned," no birds today either huh?"

Much to Summer's surprise, Qrow kept his promise. He'd drop by the house once every blue moon to pay the girls a visit, every time he brought with him sweets and some new toys. That earned him a special spot in their hearts. He'd often be so caught up with Yang and Ruby's stories and games that he'd barely have time to catch up with Summer, but that didn't bother her. She was just happy he put in the effort to be in their lives.

While he insisted he'd only visit when he can, Summer knew he was around more often than he'd like to admit. When Yang and Ruby played outside she'd sometimes see them chasing around a crow. They'd play fight with it and pretend it was the Grimm for hours on end until one of them drops down from exhaustion. The girls had affectionately named it _Uncle Crow._ Tai, on the other hand, wasn't too thrilled with Qrow dropping in at random. He'd often complain to Summer when the girls were fast asleep.

Recently, however, there was a prolonged absence of his presence. Summer remembered seeing Yang and Ruby sprinkling cookie crumbs all over the front yard. When she confronted the girls about it Yang said," Uncle Crow has been gone for a _super_ long time, so we're gonna get him back with the power of cookies!"

She considered calling him but it's not like he'd pick up even if he was okay. "Where are you, bird brain?" She blurted to herself. She glanced out the window for several more seconds before returning to her chores.

* * *

"Tai, you really need to take it easy." Summer placed her hand on his sprained wrist. "I've never heard of someone spraining their wrist from teaching."

"Well, then you haven't met someone as passionate as me," Tai announced proudly. "They don't call me the best teacher for nothing."

Tai had come home unusually late today. At first Summer thought he was held up by Grimm or something happened at the school, instead, his late return was due to the fact that he managed to sprain his wrist during a lecture. Summer didn't think teaching would be so dangerous until now.

Summer rolled her eyes," you managed to do the impossible and that's not something you should be proud of."

"When I grow up I wanna fight like daddy!" Yang hammered her fists on the table. "I'm gonna defeat all the Grimm in the world by punching them in the face!"

"Me too!" Ruby exclaimed with her fork held over her head.

"Not if you don't eat all your peas." Summer chided for what felt like the hundredth time now. Both Yang and Ruby exchanged disgusted looks and groaned.

"Listen to your mom, girls," Tai agreed. "All great warriors must eat their veggies and-"

He was promptly cut off by a knock on the door. Ruby and Yang gasped, exchanging excited looks with one another.

"Uncle Qrow!" They both screamed, bolting out of their chairs.

"I call dibs on picking the first toy!" Yang exclaimed.

"No fair!"

Once the girls were out of sight Tai grimaced. "So _now_ he decides to grace us with his presence." He snorted. "He probably wants free food and bedding. Oh and a roof over his head."

"Lighten up, Tai," Summer patted his back. "He's still family whether you like it or not."

"Family doesn't abandon one another." He added under his breath. Summer chose to ignore his comment and went to join her daughters.

"Hurry up mom!" Yang pointed impatiently at the door. Ruby was bouncing by the window, straining to catch a glimpse of her uncle.

"But, Yang, that doesn't look like Uncle Qrow." Ruby's observation made Summer's heart stop.

"What?!" Yang practically pushed Ruby aside and rose to her tippy toes. "Aww man, it's just some weird old guy."

"Ozpin," Summer blurted. She threw open the door and her suspicion was confirmed.

"Ah, Summer Rose, how good to see you again." Her former headmaster greeted with a bow. He was still adorned in the same work uniform she'd seen him wear all those years ago, of course, he also kept the same cane.

Yang and Ruby sheepishly poked their heads out from behind Summer. Ozpin took notice to the younglings and smiled at them," well hello there, girls."

"Hi?" Yang spoke up for the two of them. "Who are you?"

"I'm professor Ozpin, I was, and still am, the headmaster of your parents' school."

"Oz?!" Tai exclaimed behind Summer. "Wow, it's crazy how little you've changed over the years."

Ozpin laughed light-heartedly," thank you, Tai. You don't look too different yourself."

"Aww shucks, now you're just flattering me."

"Please come in, professor." Summer stepped aside to allow the man in. "It's been forever since we've seen you, how have you been? Do you want something to eat or drink?" She asked, closing the door behind him.

"I've been fine, thanks for asking, but I'm not here to catch up. Unfortunately, I need to speak about some...important matters with you two." He looked down at Yang and Ruby. "It might be best we talk somewhere private."

The air grew thick and heavy around the trained warriors, only the children were immune to its pungent grasp. Summer had a feeling her former headmaster was here to talk about Qrow. Whatever he had to say she didn't want to hear it—she didn't want Ozpin to snuff out the little hope she still had left for Qrow.

"I'll put the girls to bed," Tai offered solemnly.

"A-and I'll get us something to drink." She croaked.

Yang and Ruby bombarded Tai with questions as they were carried to their rooms. Summer promptly returned to the kitchen, everything around her suddenly felt so disoriented, like she was walking through a dream. She stopped in front of the kitchen window and gazed out, half-hoping to see a crow perched on one of the trees surrounding their house. She felt cold to the bone at the emptiness staring back at her.

* * *

With Yang and Ruby tucked into bed, Summer and Tai joined Ozpin in the living room. The house was dead silent, even the crickets ceased to sing their lullabies tonight.

"Let me start with an easy question." Ozpin began tentatively. "Have either of you heard from Qrow lately?"

His question slapped Summer across the face. She felt her hands tightening their grasp on her cup.

"No," Tai answered for her. "He's barely back home to begin with-"

"That's not true," Summer instinctively defended. She proceeded to explain to Oz about Qrow's presence as a bird. Tai's jawline was tight by the time she was done.

"I see," Ozpin nodded. "And have you seen him around in that form lately?"

"No, he hasn't come home to pay the girls a visit either. He's just...gone." She took a sip of her drink. "That's not like him to just vanish like that." She could see Tai scoffing at her statement but she didn't care. At this point, she knew Qrow wouldn't just abandon them like Raven did. He genuinely cared about them.

"Is he dead?" Tai asked, though his words no longer held any anger.

"I'm not sure," Ozpin admitted. Summer found herself slightly relieved, at least there was still hope. "I've been trying to get in contact with him for the past month."

"What kind of mission was he on?" Summer pressed on.

Ozpin sipped his tea and began to explain how one of his hunters came back wounded from an unusual Grimm attack, he suspected Salem was behind the new species of Grimm. Qrow, being the one of best hunters at his disposal, was sent out to confirm if he was right. The mission went according to plan at first, Qrow kept in touch with Oz throughout his journey and kept note of all the Grimm he encountered. Then he was gone. Poof.

"I suspect he may have been captured...or killed. I can't be sure at this point."

Summer could only picture him stranded somewhere in the wilderness, dying alone. Even if they weren't sure of his whereabouts she felt so many regrets building up inside her. There were so many things she wanted to tell him, so many lies she wanted to put to rest.

"He could've gone quiet to keep himself safe and under the radar," Tai suggested in an attempt to spark some hope.

"I know, but with Salem possibly involved his chances of survival are significantly low." Ozpin clarified grimly. "His loyalty to me only makes the situation worse..."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Summer's response made Tai visibly irritated. She chose to ignore his silent pleas to stop talking.

Ozpin glanced between the two of them before continuing," if Qrow is indeed gone then I need someone of equal strength and experience to take his place. I was hoping Summer would go out there and investigate, her silver eyes are one of the greatest weapons we got against Salem. Of course, considering your current circumstance, I won't force you to go."

"Thank you, Professor." Tai spoke before Summer got the chance to. "We appreciate your understanding."

She knew Tai only meant well. They both knew how serious of a threat Salem was and there was too much to lose at this point. That, however, was unable to tame Summer's newfound anger.

"On a lighter note, I'm so happy to finally see you two settle down with a family. Are you going to train the girls?"

Tai's stiff shoulders dropped and he relaxed into his chair," we're considering but Summer is a bit reluctant since..."

Summer tuned everything out. There were too many things racing through her mind. Not only was Qrow missing, and maybe even dead, but Salem was possibly preparing for a return. If what Oz said was true then her active presence in the future will only cause more pain. So many brave and innocent souls will fall to her hands. Families will be torn apart and friends will scatter.

She thought of Ruby and Yang growing up in a world of war. If Salem continues the build in power, Summer's daughters will no doubt be forced into the battlefield. Their chances of living a normal, happy life will forever be lost in bloodshed. They'd be throwing their lives away for a battle that can't possibly be won. That's not to mention the burden Ruby will have being a silver-eyed warrior.

"I apologize for taking up so much of your time." Ozpin placed his now empty cup onto the coffee table and stood up.

"No problem, Professor." Tai rose to his feet as well. "If you get any additional news-"

"Ozpin," Summer curtly piped into the conversation. Both men turned their heads at her direction in surprise. "I want to help find Qrow and finish what he started."

Tai looked like she'd stabbed him in the back.

"Are you sure, Summer?" Ozpin challenged. "If what I think is true then you'll be walking into grave danger."

"Yes," Summer didn't hesitate to answer. If it meant protecting Ruby from doing the same thing then she'd be willing to do anything. "Where do I have to go?"

"Summer," Tai snapped through clenched teeth. "What are you doing?"

"I want to stop Salem, Ozpin." Summer chose to ignore Tai. She knew he'd give her a good lecture afterwards but that didn't matter. Not when her daughters' lives were at risk. "I know it's impossible for me and Tai to go together, but I'm fine with fighting solo." Her words seemed to physically hit Tai.

Ozpin glanced uncomfortably between the two of them,"...very well...I can send you Qrow's last known location." He said, taking out his scroll from his pocket. "And secondly, I'm not asking you to fight Salem _if_ she is present. That would be foolish even for a strong huntress like you—only attack if she notices you. I simply need you to confirm my suspicions so we can plan for the future accordingly."

Ozpin clicked several things on his scroll before slipping it back in his pocket," I know this is still a difficult decision to make and I won't blame you for backing down."

"I won't back down," she assured firmly. "When do I need to leave?"

"It's best to go as soon as possible, you'll be travelling across the ocean."

Summer rubbed her chin, weighing her options in her head. "Can you give me three days to prepare?"

"Of course," Ozpin nodded. "I can order a plane ticket for you when I get back to Beacon."

"Thank you."

Ozpin continued to look between Tai and Summer with concern," yes...well I should get going."

"Let me show you out." Tai offered stiffly.

While Tai bid the professor good bye, Summer dashed to her room and picked up her scroll. She eagerly pressed on the information Ozpin sent and scanned through its content.

She was quick to learn why Qrow was gone for so long. The town he stayed in was small and was surrounded by nothing but trees and mountains. He'd practically searched through the entire area surrounding the town he was staying at. His last known location was in the mountains, the furthest location he's gone from the town.

'Looks like my search will be easy,' she thought, switching her scroll off.

A click of a door caught sounded behind her. She didn't need to look to know Tai had joined her in their room.

"Why did you do it?" He interrogated weakly. "Is he really worth your life?"

"It's not just about him," she explained gently, all the while keeping her back towards him. She couldn't face him. "If Salem is active again then that could mean trouble for everyone."

"But _you_ don't have to go," he insisted. She heard him pacing around the room. "Ozpin has thousands of hunters and huntresses he can ask. I-it doesn't have to be you."

"I can't just sit here and do nothing, Tai. I became a huntress not because I wanted to fight when it was convenient, I did it to protect people from danger."

"You wouldn't be going if Qrow wasn't in danger." Tai's voice was gradually getting louder. That prompted a spike of anger to rise within Summer.

"He's not the only reason-"

"I don't understand why you keep defending someone like him. He abandoned us like his sister, h-he broke your heart numerous times and yet you still go crawling back to him."

"You don't know what we talk about behind closed doors. You don't know what he's willing to sacrifice to keep me safe." She shot back heatedly. It was that last sentence that shot a tinge of pain through her chest.

"He's no different from Raven, Summer. He left you behind with a child, if it weren't for me-"

"Stop projecting your own hate onto someone else!" She twirled around to face him. He was frozen in place on the other side of the room, his shoulders slightly trembling.

"Look, this isn't just about him." She added calmly. "It's about protecting the innocent and their families."

"Then what about _your_ family? What about Ruby and Yang?" Tai collapsed to his knees, shaking.

Summer's anger quickly dissolved into guilt. She placed her scroll down and made her way to Tai's side.

"W-what about me?" He added in a whisper.

She knelt next to him and wrapped her arms around him. He may not have held a special place in her heart like Qrow did, but he was still the man who was there for her when their team fell apart. He willingly took Ruby in as his own and loved her unconditionally. They've been through the thick and the thin together with their little girls. It most definitely hurt to see him so defeated.

"I'm sorry, Tai." She whimpered. "I need to do this. I want Ruby and Yang to grow up in a peaceful world, maybe then we wouldn't have to train them to be like us."

"And what if you die?" Tai looked at her with red, puffy eyes. "I...I can't lose you too."

"I'll come back," she promised. "As the leader of team STRQ I'll return without fail. I promise."

He pulled her into a tight hug, knocking the breath out of her," I love you, Summer. Please...please don't leave me. I don't want to be alone."

She hugged him back and squeezed her burning eyes shut," I'm sorry, Tai. I'm sorry."

* * *

Tai took the next three days off to take care of Ruby and Yang while Summer prepared for the mission. On the first day, Summer spent her extra free time to polish her sword and train in the backyard. Her girls would occasionally flood out the house to see her train, awing and cheering at each move.

Tai came out at one point to train with her. Yang was practically cheering her lungs out at their fight. Summer found her fight with Tai to be difficult at first. Tai was relentless toward her as if trying to prove she wasn't ready to take on what was out there. Summer, however, persisted and with due time defeated him. At night she set out to slay the local Grimm, pushing her body to its limit. When she returned Tai was still up, waiting for her with a snack and a cup of tea.

That was her rigorous routine until the day she had to leave.

* * *

Summer was examining herself in the bathroom mirror. It'd been so long since she wore her huntress gear that it almost looked foreign on her. She swung her bag over her shoulders and marched out.

"Wow, mom looks so cool!" Yang exclaimed the moment she stepped into the living room.

Yang and Ruby were sprawled on the floor with dozens of crayons papers spread around them.

"Why thank you." Summer whipped her cloak back to reveal the sword strapped to her side. Both Yang and Ruby's eyes widened with awe.

"I wanna be like mommy when I grow up." Ruby chimed.

'If things go well then maybe you don't have to.' She thought.

"I hate to interrupt you showing off," Tai said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "But have you checked over your bag yet?"

"Yes, I even made sure to triple check through everything before bed," Summer rolled her eyes. "I'm not a child anymore."

"I'm just looking out for you," Tai pulled her closer to him. "It's still not too late to change your mind." He added so quietly that only Summer could hear.

She wordlessly pushed herself out of his arms and straightened her cloak," girls, while I'm gone I want you to be behave and listen to daddy. If you're good then I'll bake cookies when I come back."

"Don't worry, mom! We'll be super good!" Yang pumped her fists in the air.

Ruby got up from her spot on the floor and clumsily ran to Summer, latching herself tightly around Summer's leg. "Can I come too, mommy?"

She could sense Tai giving her an 'I told you so' look. While Yang understood why Summer had to leave, Ruby was still too young to grasp the importance of her departure. It was equally as difficult for Summer and Tai to elaborate on their circumstance without scaring her to death.

Summer knelt down to her daughter's eye level," sweetheart, I can't take you along. It's too dangerous for you to go." She ruffled Ruby's dark hair.

"But...when will you come home?"

"I don't know," she saw tears well in her daughter's eyes at the answer. "Don't worry, Ruby, I'll come back before you know it."

"Promise?" Ruby held out her small pinky.

Summer smiled and latched her own pinky around her's," I promise." With that she wrapped her arms around Ruby and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I'll miss you," she kissed Ruby on the head.

"I love you, mommy." Her tiny arms latched around Summer.

"I love you too, sweetie."

"C'mon, kiddo," Tai called out to Yang. "Let's give mom one last hug before she leaves."

Within seconds Summer was smothered with hugs and kisses from both Yang and Ruby. She wished she could've stayed there forever with them in her arms. With great reluctance, she broke their group hug and backed away from the girls.

"Stay safe out there." Tai pulled her into another embrace. "And please come back." He planted a kiss on her cheek. She held back the urge to shrink away from him.

"I-I will," she hugged him back. "Have some faith in me."

"Ew, mommy and daddy are being gross!" Yang squealed, blocking Ruby's eyes from the scene.

Tai and Summer broke into laughter and separated.

"Well, I'll be seeing you all later." She scanned her family one last time before heading out.

"Kick some Grimm butt, mom!" Yang called out behind her.

"Come home soon, mommy! I love you!" Ruby added in an equally cheerful tone.

Their voices grew quiet once she stepped out of the house. She leaned against the door and sighed, the tears she'd been holding back finally allowed to trail down her cheeks.

"I'll come back, Ruby." She promised firmly. "No matter what I'll always come back to you."


	8. Chapter 8

**You better find a comfortable place to read because this is a long chapter.**

 **OH and some of the scenes are a bit graphic, so if you don't like blood and violence then you might not wanna read this chapter all the way through.**

* * *

The town was old and decrepit, if it weren't for the people walking among her broken roads Summer would've been sure it was abandoned. She promised to call Ozpin as soon as she arrived, but after 3 days worth of hiking she wanted nothing more than a warm shower a soft bed to collapse on.

Due to the town's small size, Summer easily found the only hotel available. If it weren't for the bar she was sure the building would be locked up and out of business.

Chatter emanated from every corner of the room when she entered. She held her head up high and proceeded to the tiny receptionist. Some of the patrons took notice of her and smiled hungrily. She instantly thought back to the time Qrow scared off the creep for her. An idea formed in her head.

She purposefully brushed aside her cloak to reveal the sword tucked underneath the white cloth, immediately the men turned away in fear. She held back the urge to laugh at them.

'Wait till Qrow hears about this,' she thought amusedly to herself. Even if she wasn't sure of his condition it still felt nice to pretend that they'd be meeting up soon.

"Yer a tough woman," the old man said on the other side of the table. His cheeks were red and an empty wine bottle was on the table.

"I just want a room." Summer said curtly, placing some cash onto the table. "I'm not here to cause any trouble."

"I ain't afraid of people, young lady. I'm only scared of Grimm." The man took the money and stuffed it somewhere under his desk. "Those nasty things have really messed up this town."

"Grimm, eh?" She rested a single arm on the table top. "Care to tell me more about it?"

"That depends on what you wanna know," the man narrowed his eyes at her.

 _"Locals can be stubborn and defensive about their problems,"_ she remembered Qrow once saying. _"I_ _know Oz said we should try to prove our legitimacy to them but I prefer to use bribery. It saves time and it benefits everyone."_

"I'm a professional huntress." She slipped an extra few bucks toward him. His eyes lit up at the extra cash and eagerly swiped it off the counter.

'Who knew you'd help me out like this, bird brain?'

"The Grimm wasn't always this bad. We had a few cases of 'em attackin' people, but it was never somethin' serious." The man began, stuffing the money into his pockets. "Lately they've been gettin' bigger, stronger and hungrier. It ain't easy gettin' tourists to come here and those evil bastards don't help."

"When did this start to happen?"

He shrugged while digging around under his desk. "Several months ago I think. We had 'em hunters come to fight but they came back injured, some dead. Others just flat out disappeared."

Summer barely noticed the keys flying at her face, she caught it just before they could hit her.

"That's all I know." He concluded. "Yer room is upstairs, first one on the left." He pointed to a dark entryway at the corner of the bar.

"Thanks, sir." Summer turned to leave when the man spoke again.

"Y'know, you remind me an awful lot of someone who stayed here recently. They were huntin' Grimm as well."

"Really?" Summer looked back with burning curiosity. "Were they a man?"

"Yeah, tall, black hair, red cape and a massive sword." Summer's heart quickened at the description.

"What happened to him?"

The man shrugged," he just stopped showing up one day. If you want my opinion I think he died like all the others."

* * *

Once she was finished showering, Summer changed into her sleepwear and cuddled into her bed; it felt like she was in heaven the moment her head hit the pillow. She decided to call Ozpin first before sleep got the best of her. They briefly discussed the Grimm she encountered and quickly came to a consensus that she'd investigate the mountains Qrow was last seen at.

"I need you to be prepared, Summer." Oz warned. "Anything could be up there."

"I know, but I'm not afraid." She answered confidently. While it was true the Grimm she'd encountered so far had distorted bodies she wasn't bothered by them. It'd take much more to make her tremble in fear.

"I'm not just talking about the Grimm. I'm talking about Qrow and what might be left of him." Oz elaborated gently.

Summer turned to her side and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"You may be desensitized to Grimm but you're not immune to the death of a friend. I just want you to be mentally prepared."

"I'll try to be as prepared as I can." Summer said though she was unsure of how well she'd be able to live up to her words.

"Try to get some rest. You'll need your strength for tomorrow."

She was plunged into silence once she disconnected with Ozpin. Muffled laughter from the drunk patrons below filled in the noiseless void. Summer was tempted to call back home before sleeping. Her finger hovered over the call button for several minutes before she ultimately exited the screen.

"They're probably busy." She reasoned to herself out loud.

The laughter from below grew louder. A part of her wanted to go downstairs and see if Qrow was among the crowd, but she didn't want to give herself any false hope.

Her finger navigated to her scroll's photo album and she pressed on the oldest collection of photos. Her eyes were instantly flooded with pictures of her old dorm and team.

She forged through the photos, each one leaving behind a bittersweet taste. She eventually came across the first proper photo she snapped of Qrow. He was in the middle of eating lunch when she successfully captured an image of him. He wasn't too thrilled with the picture but Summer kept it on her scroll despite his complaints.

She scrolled further down the album. More and more silly pictures of Qrow showed up as Summer started to really know him. From their late night hangouts on the roof to random outings, everything was documented and frozen in time. It wasn't long before Summer reached the last picture. It was at their graduation. Her entire team surrounded her for a group picture. She remembered having trouble fitting everyone in when Qrow snatched the scroll from her hands.

 _"Let someone tall handle this."_ He had said jokingly. Everyone but Summer laughed at his remark.

A yawn escaped her lips," guess I should sleep." She muttered, placing the device on her nightstand.

She snuggled deeper into her blankets and peered out the window, the moon stared back at her with silver brilliance.

Memories from Beacon flooded her mind, from prank wars to planning the best approach to victory. She could still recall the ghostly laughter of her friends and the pointless arguments they'd sometimes get into. All that joy she'd felt during those days were nothing more than a whisper now.

She suddenly felt very cold.

Summer turned away from the window and closed her eyes. Falling asleep to the blurry days of carefree bliss and ignorance.

* * *

She got up as soon as the first drop of sunlight diluted the darkened sky. Summer packed a few essentials, such as extra food and water, before heading out. If she planned to hike up the mountains she'd need to have an early start.

She kept her guard up all the way through the lush forest. She made sure to check in with Ozpin every so often, he seemed more and more concerned the closer she got to Qrow's last known whereabouts. The sun was high above her by the time she reached the exit of the dense forest. Before her was an open, rocky path. The mountains were covering half the sky at this point. Red flags popped up left and right in her mind, she was practically a sitting duck in this environment.

She ducked behind one of the nearby trees and peered down at her scroll.

"This is where Qrow was last," she confirmed with a frown. "He probably would've flown past this area to avoid detection...but still." She peered out from behind the tree trunk. "It's really easy to spot a bird flying through the area."

She examined the barren land one last time before forcing herself out from the refuge of the tree.

"If he's out there I need to find him." She placed a firm hand on her sword and walked forward.

Though the land was quiet and peaceful Summer refused to let her guard down. She kept her ears strained and eyes on high alert. The colossal rocky formation was getting closer. Cracks and crevices gradually came into focus. Summer's heart nearly dropped at the lone black creature scaling up the mountainside. She gingerly lowered herself all the while keeping her eyes locked on the Grimm and hand gripped on her sword.

It was human-like in feature, but its movements were twitchy and erratic. The Grimm also had an unusually long neck and head that laid on its skinny shoulders. The Grimm was walking on a narrow pathway snaking up the side of the mountain. Summer had a sneaking suspicion more were up there.

She studied the nearby terrain and clicked her teeth with annoyance. It'd be foolish of her to take the same path as the Grimm, but there weren't any safe paths she could take around it. Even with her semblance's help, it'd be difficult to reach and safely perch onto the surrounding ledges.

"Dammit, looks like I have no choice."

A sharp cry overhead caught her attention. With one swift movement, she drew her sword, twisted around and fell into a fighting stance. Three griffon-like Grimm were flying quickly toward her.

At least now she had an idea of how Qrow might have been ambushed in his avian form.

* * *

"Don't look down, don't look down." Summer chanted to herself.

Getting to the ledge was already hard enough, there was an unusual amount of Grimm loitering near its entryway. After exhausting most of her energy fighting the Grimm, Summer had the ordeal of navigating across a narrow ledge. Even with her small build, the only way she could safely get across was to shuffle with her back pressed against the mountain.

She decided she'd just use her semblance to navigate the rest of the way up if she saw any more flying Grimm. Luckily they seemed to be absent at the moment.

Summer focused her eyes forward and kept shuffling, her breath hitching each time the pebbles under her feet crumbled down the mountain's bump walls. If felt like hours had passed till she saw a small cliff ahead. She hastily hurried the rest of her way to the ledge.

"Oh thank god." She dropped to her knees once she was safely on the cliff. She noted the only cave opening in the mountain's wall beside her.

She shakily looked over the edge and nearly had a heart attack. The Grimms below looked like nothing more than ants. If she had slipped anywhere along the way she would've undoubtedly plummeted to her death. She scurried away from the ledge and looked behind her. The hole in the mountain's wall made her skin crawl. She couldn't imagine anything nice waiting for her inside.

She reached for her scroll and immediately clicked on Ozpin's number.

"Summer, are you alright?" He answered right away.

"I'm fine," she breathed.

Ozpin remained silent as she told him about her new discovery. She decided to change a few details of her dangerous journey to the cave, though.

"I see," Ozpin commented once she was finished. "It seems like there's a high possibility that Qrow is inside...along with Salem if she's there."

"I'll be going in shortly." Summer informed him, her free hand trembling by her side.

"Be careful, Summer. Assuming it's Salem we're dealing with, you'll need to be prepared to take on anything."

"I-I know."

"And remember, call upon the silver eyes if you get overwhelmed. Not even she can escape them without some severe wounds." Ozpin paused for a second. "Good luck. I look forward to hearing from you in the future."

* * *

The cave was cold, damp, and straightforward. As far as she could tell, there was only a single path to go down. Summer used her scroll's screen as a dim source of light. She held her sword in a constant ready position and examined every corner, half expecting a Grimm to jump out each time. She stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted a flickering amber light up ahead. Summer reluctantly put her scroll away and gingerly tiptoed her way to the light source.

Her hands were trembling and her breaths heavy. She expected to come across a chamber full of misshapen Grimm or perhaps the workshop of Ozpin's greatest enemy. Instead, she discovered a hallway. Unlike the path she was on, it was much wider and branched out to three different directions, each lit up with flickering torches.

Summer carefully entered the light and examined her options. She was immediately drawn to the dried brown streak mark on the pathway to her right.

'Blood,' she concluded to herself. She didn't think twice to follow the blood trail.

It was here that she finally ran into some of the most terrifying Grimm she'd ever seen in her life. Some here mixed concoction of humans and animals, others looked like a science experiment gone wrong.

She'd run into them in the halls, find them sauntering out of opened rooms or hiding behind a corner. If it weren't for her years of training and lightning fast reflexes she would be dead.

She continued to follow the blood trail until it led her around a corner where a slender, mustached man was locking up a metal door. Summer suppressed a gasp and retreated behind the corner before he could notice her. She heard keys jingle accompanied with footsteps walking away from her. She swallowed and gingerly poked her head out.

She examined the metal door and then the man, Qrow's bloody sword was held in his hand. As the puzzle prices fell together Summer's panic skyrocketed.

Without a second thought, she burst into rose petals and rocketed toward the man. He noticed her a second too late, she first plunged her sword into his leg. It'd make it difficult for him to walk and look for backup but it shouldn't kill him. Then, while he was still recovering from shock, she hit him hard on the back of the head. He collapsed, unconscious but not dead.

She searched his body until she found the set of keys in his coat pocket. She fidgeted hastily with the keys until she found the correct one. With a click, the door creaked open.

The room smelled of iron. Summer covered her nose before walking in.

It seemed more like a torture chamber than a prison cell. Various long swords and torture devices hung from the walls with a single bloody chair at the room's center. A man was sprawled on his stomach at the base of the chair, blood streamed out from him like a tap. The man was not Qrow.

Regardless, Summer knelt next to the man and gently turned him onto his back. She could still hear his wheezing breath.

He appeared to be a young hunter, most likely a few years younger than Summer. It was evident from the numerous cuts and bruises on his body that he suffered for days, most likely from a sword or whip, before someone plunged a knife into his chest. Some of his injuries were fresh.

Despite her years of combat and training, the man's excessive injuries made her want to vomit. It sickened her to know that someone had the nerve to inflict so much pain on another human being.

The man squinted his eyes open," what...do you want?" He wheezed venomously.

"I'm a huntress," Summer simply told him. "I-I can help you."

The man studied her skeptical you before relaxing. "Thanks...but we both know I'm...a goner."

Summer winced at his words.

The man grinned weakly at her," you're brave to...to just walk into a place like this...unharmed."

"I..." She didn't know what to say. Telling him that she was here for someone else would just be rude.

"Look...there's someone else...here with me." He said as if reading her mind.

"Who? Are they still alive?" She tried not to sound too eager.

"Some guy...named Qrow...I don't know if he's still alive...they said something about taking him...to the chamber...whatever that means."

'There's still a chance,' a voice screamed in her head. 'I can still save him!'

"He...he might ask for me if you...find him alive. Just...tell him they finally...offed me."

She didn't like how easily those words tumbled out of his mouth. As much as she wanted to help him there was nothing she could do.

"Is..is there anything I can do for you?"

"Nah...I'm just happy...I'm not dying alone..."

His breaths grew more strained, more desperate until finally, his body gave up. She broke into tears, gently closing the man's eyes before getting up.

She stepped out into the hall. The mustached man was still unconscious, Qrow's sword laid by his side. Summer knelt down and searched his body again, hoping to find some sort of map or blueprint of the facility. The only thing that seemed worthy of help was his scroll.

She scanned through the scroll's content, through messages and emails until she found what she was looking for. After pinpointing her location on the map, she found the quickest route to the "Grimm Chamber".

She jumped up to her feet, picked up Qrow's sword and proceeded on her way.

* * *

"This is what happens when you go against our Goddess, little bird." A scorpion tailed man taunted in what appeared to be an announcer's booth. He was seemingly oblivious to the presence behind him. "I can't wait to see your guts ripped out!"

Summer tightened her grip on Qrow's sword. She was ready to charge at the man when he bent backward and sneered at her.

"Why hello there, little lady. Sorry to keep you waiting." His crazed yellow eyes brightened at her surprise. "Did you come for our poor little bird?"

"Shut up," she raised his sword and fell into a fighting stance. The man continued to laugh.

"Oh that's cute," he pointed to Qrow's weapon. "Fighting with a dying man's sword. How romantic." Summer glared at him.

The man took a step forward, his smile widening," I remember your pretty little face from his scroll, little rose. I bet he'd be happy to know you came here to see him take his last breath."

"Be quiet!" She lunged at the Faunus and swung the blade downward, her opponent leaped out of the way at just the last second.

"Ooh, the little girl knows how to fight." Summer doubled back as blades protruded from his wrists. He took that as a queue to attack.

Qrow's blade was heavier than Summer was used to thus she wasn't able to move as fast as she'd like. Nonetheless, she was able to defend and attack with it effectively.

"Once I defeat you I promise you'll meet the same fate as your lover." The Faunus continued to taunt. "He was a tough one, never betraying Oz even in the most...painful situations."

She thought back to the dying man and the numerous cuts and bruises on his body. Anger and pain flared to life as she pictured the exact same injuries on Qrow.

"Enough!" She threw the sword at her opponent, while it failed to impale him did successfully knock one of his wrist blades off.

He cursed at the unfortunate ordeal and lunged at her with his remaining blade. Summer withdrew her own sword and parried his attack. He leaped back, scorpion tail whipping out of annoyance.

"And the rose has thorns," he scoffed. "You're not bad, little flower, but you're nothing compared to my Goddess."

He bolted toward her again, widened eyes screaming for bloodshed. Summer promptly leaned away from his incoming blade and burst into rose petals, slicing him across the stomach as she flew by.

"Fuck!" He stumbled back, cradling his new wound.

Summer sheathed her sword, scrambled to grab Qrow's weapon and made a mad dash into the announcer's booth. She took quick notice of the door controls on the panel and slammed her hand down on the _close_ button.

"Fucking bitch!" She heard a bullet go off from behind.

Within seconds she fell to her knees, a burning pain ripping from the back of her left thigh. Angry pounds accompanied with gunshots emanated from the other side of the closed, metal doors.

Using Qrow's sword as a support she hoisted herself up onto her good leg. She rested her body weight on the sword and peered out the window of the small booth.

She could clearly see Qrow at the centre of the stadium-like room, laying on the floor unmoving. Surrounding him were dozens of locked metal doors. She couldn't bear to imagine what was waiting for him on the other side of those doors.

"Qrow!" She screamed. He gave no response. She tried again but he remained motionless on the other side.

She felt a part of herself die.

"You idiot," she cried. Gathering as much energy as she could, Summer transformed into rose petals and broke through the glass.

She cried out in pain as she landed, glass shards rained behind her like water. She nearly collapsed, with tears burning her eyes, as pain shot out from the bullet wound and through the rest of her leg. Her heart quickened when she heard a groan accompanied by rattling chains. Summer hastily wiped her eyes dry with the back of her hand. When her vision cleared she noticed Qrow was stirring back to consciousness, the shackle on his leg rattled from his disturbance.

"Qrow!" She forced herself up onto her good leg limped as fast as she could to his side.

His head perked up at the sound of her voice. Qrow groaned and sat himself up with a grunt. When he turned to face her she noticed his shirt was ripped and torn, revealing old and fresh cuts adorning his chest and abdomen. It was evident someone had purposefully dragged a blade through his flesh before throwing him in here.

"Summer?" He stared at her incredulously. "What the hell are you doing here? How did you-"

Summer dropped to her knees and hugged him tighter than anyone she'd ever hugged before, she only lessened her grip on him when he winced in pain. She buried her head into his shoulder and allowed the tears to come pouring down.

"I...I thought you died." She bawled. "I-if this is a dream I-I never want to wake up."

"Idiot, you shouldn't have come here. There's a reason why I want to go on these missions alone." He gently returned the embrace.

Despite their situation, she felt safe in his warmth. For the first time since she embarked on this mission, Summer felt like everything was going to be alright.

"And that's why I'm always so worried about you. I-I can't just stay home and let you sacrifice your life for...this."

"We're not the same. Yang and Ruby still need you. Tai also-"

"They need you too." She clutched onto his shirt. "Yang and Ruby have been waiting for you to come home. They miss playing with you... _I_ miss you. You're family to us, bird brain. Whether you like it or not."

He didn't say anything, though she felt his arms tighten around her. She wanted more than anything to stay in the comfort of his arms, to convince herself that this was in fact reality and he was still alive.

She reluctantly broke the hug," there's so much I want to tell you, Qrow." She wiped the remaining tears dry on her sleeves and hoisted herself up. "First we need to get out of here."

She swung Qrow's sword onto the chain binding his leg to the ground. It took several tries before she could successfully free him.

"Thanks for the save, Summer." He winced in pain as he got up to his feet. "But how exactly are you planning to leave? This place is massive."

"I may have borrowed an evil moustache guy's scroll." She winked, handing him his sword back.

"Nice to see you haven't lost your touch."

She pulled out the stolen scroll, searching for the most efficient path out when the sound of creaking metal caught her attention. One of the metal doors were opening. Qrow cursed, the sword in his hand promptly transforming into a scythe.

"Humph, it's about time these little brats learned their lesson."

Summer turned her attention to the announcer's booth. The man she's knocked out earlier was staring back at her with vengeance in his eyes.

"Can't we rip them apart ourselves?" The Faunus, who was out of sight, asked the man.

"The Queen wants us to feed her pet. We'll let it do the dirty work for us."

"We don't have time for this," Summer put away the scroll and withdrew her own sword. "What's in there?"

"I don't know," Qrow began backing away from the now open. "All I know is that it was supposed to kill me."

"Not on my watch."

She mimicked Qrow's actions while keeping her eyes locked on the cage in front of them. A warm breeze emanated from the seemingly empty cell. Summer fell into a fighting stance the instant two red eyes shown from within the darkness. The ground trembled as the beast inside drew closer and closer.

"Fucking hell," Qrow snapped as the colossal creature came into view. "Are you kidding me?"

The doorway was barely big enough for the Grimm to walk through. It resembled a hippogryph, it's eagle-like head nearly reached the ceiling as it straightened itself up. Black liquid oozed from its half-folded wings, leaving inky droplets on the ground.

Summer was trembling on the spot. Their chances of being crushed by this gigantic creature were uncomfortably high. They had to be crazy to fight it. The Grimm let out a high pitched scream, its ferocious cry shaking the mountain they were in.

Summer purposefully inched closer to Qrow until their arms were practically touching," we can't fight this." She said to him once the creature finished its uproar.

"We don't have a choice."

"Yes we do," she stuffed the stolen scroll into his pocket. "There's a map of this place in the photos. I'll keep this thing distracted while you look."

"What?! Are you crazy?"

"I'm not going to make you fight in your current condition," she said, wincing as she pressed more weight on her injured leg. He shot his hand out and held onto her arm before she could crumble from pain.

"At least I'm strong enough to walk. Look, I'll fight the Grimm while you get to safety."

"No, I'm not going to lose you-"

The two were forced to separate as a black talon came crashing down on their former spot. Summer's sword transformed into its rifle form. She took quick aim at the Grimm's eye and pulled the trigger. Her bullet caused the creature to screech in pain and stumble into the wall, resulting in more debris to rain down from the ceiling. She smirked at the hit and transformed her weapon back to its sword form.

"Hurry up and find a way out!" She ordered Qrow just before bursting into rose petals.

She circled around to the Grimm's hooves and sliced one of the legs. She bolted out of the way before the Grimm could step on her. Summer repeated this process several more times. Though her injury still burned like acid and her body was at its very limit, she pressed on. As the creature's thrashing grew more erratic, the coliseum trembled and larger bits of debris came crumbling down.

At one point Summer sliced off the top of the Grimm's wing. Before she could run to safety one of its talon swiped at her, successfully throwing her across the room.

She smashed into the wall, it felt like every bone was crushed on impact. She felt herself sliding toward the ground and braced for impact. Before she could face plant into the rocky surface Qrow caught her by the waist.

"Dammit, Summer, if you die I'll never forgive you!" He gently rested her back against the wall.

"Ouch," she groaned. "I think I broke a rib or two."

"I think a few broken ribs is the least of your worries." He swiftly shot up and blocked the talon coming in at their right with his scythe.

The Grimm howled in agitation. It wrapped its claws around Qrow's blade and threw him across the room. Summer held her breath as she watched him fly helplessly through the air. Fortunately, he was quick to react and transformed into his avian form just before smashing into the wall. Summer exhaled and relaxed.

From there he transformed back and forth, dropping down from the air to slice the Grimm and escaping through flight. The tremors grew intensified alongside the Grimm's anger, bigger bits of debris and rocks came falling down. The Grimm was also starting to leave large indents in the walls and even managed to crush nearby locked cells. It was evident that they were either going to succumb to the Grimm's wrath or the collapse of the arena.

'We're never going to get out of here at this rate.' She thought grudgingly.

Using the wall as a support, Summer pulled her aching body up from the ground. She whimpered in pain, it was like tiny needles were poking at her open wounds. She didn't realize how badly she was hurt until she saw the large red stain on her white cloak. She tore her gaze away from the bloodied cloak and back on the Grimm.

The creature, that was now resting one of its hooves on the ground, cried out one more time. The sheer amount of falling debris forced Qrow to return to his human form. Summer felt some larger rocks bounce off her head, intensifying her already head-splitting headache.

The last spark of hope she had of escaping the facility crumbled.

The black liquid that's been spilling around the battlefield was now stirring, giving birth to new humanoid Grimm. Qrow immediately started to fight against the new horde all the while barely able to defend himself from the giant Grimm's attacks.

At the corner of her eyes, Summe saw a group of humanoid Grimm heading toward her. When she tried to ready her sword she crumpled down, her small movement shot fire into her injuries. She knew she had no chance of fighting them, and Qrow was certainly going to run out of energy soon.

She glanced back at him, he was struggling to break free from the crowd of Grimm. One of the humanoid Grimm snuck up behind him and bashed on the head. He tumbled to the ground, red aura sparking to indicate depletion. The colossal Grimm took quick notice of his downfall and raised its talon up to land one last fatal blow.

A cry ripped through Summer's throat. Then the world turned white.

* * *

 **Last two chapter will maybe come out tomorrow. If not by tomorrow then on Friday.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Major shoutout to merendinoemiliano and youngsavage for commenting so much! I really enjoyed seeing your reviews after each new chapter!**

 **And of course, thank you to everyone who took favourited and followed the story till its end. I hope this fanfic was enjoyable and worth your time. Without further ado, I present the second last chapter to this story :)**

* * *

Summer woke up with a massive headache. If she didn't know any better she'd be sure someone plunged a knife into her skull. As she slowly returned to consciousness she noticed that she was currently being carried on someone's back. Their breaths were laboured and they walked with a slight limp.

"Qrow?" She muttered, blinking her eyes open. She could see nothing by darkness.

"Rise and shine, shortcake." He greeted lightheartedly. "I'm surprised you woke up so early."

"Where...where are we?"

"According to the map, we should be headed straight out of the mountain's core."

Vague memories of their battle played in her head. The more she tried to recollect her memories the worse her headache grew.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you use those silver eyes." He explained as if sensing her confusion. "You took care of all the Grimm in that coliseum, might've even scared off the people who were in charge of them too."

"That explains the headache..." She mumbled.

He laughed softly," sorry you had to use them. I know it can be exhausting."

'As long as you're safe it's all worth it,' she answered mentally. Even now it felt so surreal to have him back, just hours ago she was worried about finding his dead body. At least one good thing came out of the chaos.

She could vaguely make out the light at the end of the tunnel. From the dim lighting, it was easy to determine that it was nightfall.

"Are... _all_ the Grimm gone?" She asked tiredly.

"There's a few lurking around in the halls and there are probably more near the mountain. It's not enough to cause the town any threat though."

A cool evening breeze slithered past the duo. Summer found the air unusually cold against her skin. She instinctively hugged Qrow tighter.

"I'll come back tomorrow to clear out what's left." He continued.

"Can...I come with you?"

"All you're doing is staying in bed and recovering," he objected sternly. "You took some pretty heavy hits. We can't have you over exhausting yourself."

"Says the guy who was tortured."

"So you found that room huh?" He laughed dryly. "Sorry you had to see that."

"It's not that hard to figure out," she desperately tried to wipe away the images of his injuries. "But...I did stumble across that room. There was another Hunter in there." Her stomach churned at the thought of his body rotting alone in that cell, forever lost to friends and family.

"I know, and I'm pretty sure I know what became of him."

"I'm sorry."

He carried her through the remainder of the tunnel in silence. She noticed the air was getting colder and her eyes were growing heavier with each step. She had a distinct feeling of what was to come next but she desperately tried to ignore it. As long as they were still moving there was still hope.

They stepped out from the darkness and into the starry night. Under normal circumstances, she would've requested him to sit with her and enjoy the celestial beauty.

Qrow looked at the narrow path leading down the mountain. He then looked at the vast wilderness spread below them. She could feel him tremor but he didn't dare speak a word.

'So this is it,' the thought, though morbid at its core, gave Summer a weird sense of comfort.

"H-here's the plan." He tried to keep his voice steady and calm but she could still pick out the panic hidden beneath his facade. "I'll fly back to the town and get help. You wait here and-"

"That's enough, Qrow." Her voice came out weaker than she'd expected.

"What do you mean?! We need to get you help right now! Look it'll only take me a-an hour at most-"

"Please." She felt her heart aching at his words. "We both know it's impossible...even if you get help I'm weak...defenceless..."

"But-"

"How can you get up here in time?" She continued to challenge. "Save yourself the trouble, bird brain. We both know it's impossible."

He collapsed, nearly dropping Summer along the way," dammit, Summer. Of all the times you choose not to be optimistic..."

Summer bit her quivering lip and peered up at the heavens. Despite their grief, the stars shimmered with all their might as if trying to compensate for their smothered hope. She attempted to unwrap her arms but her small movement further irritated her open cuts, she grimaced and would've collapsed in pain if Qrow hadn't caught her.

"Summer, you're in no condition to move." He chided lowly. Qrow looked around the small ledge and frowned," h-here, maybe this will help you feel more comfortable."

He shifted his body until it was comfortable enough for her to lean against his chest, his arms locked gingerly around her. Though her wounds continued to burn she felt perfectly at peace.

"They're beautiful." She said, looking up at the sparkling night sky. "Doesn't this remind you of Beacon?"

He tensed at her question but didn't answer.

"Y'know I'm surprised none of us fell off the roof during those sessions. You'd think that would happen to someone so unlucky like yourself."

"I didn't stick around for too long for anything bad to happen." He sniffed.

"Except that time we spilled our drinks and it landed on someone's head." Summer reminded him with a soft giggle.

"Yeah," he snickered. "We almost got our asses busted."

Another breeze brushed by, causing Summer to shiver. She felt his arms tighten around her.

"Summer, I'm sorry." She heard his voice crack from the tears. "This is all my fault. I'm sorry."

"Stop that...you know I hate it when you do this." She scolded gently. "Besides...I chose to come here and fight. If anything...this is my fault. I willingly threw myself into danger...you've done nothing but look out for me."

"It wasn't enough."

"It's more than enough," she tilted her head back to look at him. He was staring out into the distance, jawline tense with fresh tears falling from his eyes.

"This is the first time I've seen you cry. It doesn't suit you." She planted a gentle kiss on his salty cheek. His expression changed from angst to shock in a split second.

"Summer, I know we're in some extreme conditions but this is wrong." He said all the while avoiding to look her in the eyes. "It isn't fair to Tai."

"Qrow," she felt butterflies in her stomach. Even in death, she was deathly afraid to come clean with him. "I...I'm so sorry."

Now it was her turn to break into tears.

"What?" He peered down at her curiously.

She couldn't speak under her heavy sobs. All she could think about at that moment was their beautiful daughter, growing up without her true parents ever by her side.

"I lied to you," she hated herself for needing to say that in the first place. "About Ruby a-and Tai...I lied about everything."

"Slow down there, Summer. What on Earth are you talking about?"

Her weak hand reached out from under her bloody cloak and cupped his face. The lump at the back of her throat seemed to grow bigger.

"Ruby isn't Tai's real daughter, Qrow. She's _our_ daughter."

Her hand fell to her side and she tore her eyes away from him. She felt ashamed, unworthy to face him.

"S-Summer, I'm down for jokes b-but this isn't funny."

"It isn't a joke," she cried. "You're Ruby's dad."

"Then why?" He questioned tightly. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I was afraid you'd leave forever." She retorted weakly. "You were already so terrified of hurting Yang that you did everything you could to avoid her. I could only imagine the worst if you found out Ruby was your daughter...It didn't help that I got pregnant with her after spending that night with you. You probably would've blamed yourself even if I was ecstatic to have our baby girl."

There was a moment of silence. Summer wasn't sure if he was seething with anger or was simply too shocked to comprehend what she just told him.

"I won't lie, Summer, but I'm pretty fucking pissed that you kept something so big from me." He paused for a second. "I wish you would've told me before..." He choked up before finishing his sentence.

"I'm sorry," she kissed him again. "I-I wanted to tell you but I was afraid. I-I'm so sorry, Qrow."

Summer noticed it was getting increasingly difficult to stay awake. Even when she was free from her lies she still didn't want to leave. She wasn't ready to be seperated from him again.

"Ruby...how is she?" He asked.

"She's got a serious sweet tooth," Summer pictured their little girl searching the house for extra cookies. "She'll do anything for sugar...I think she gets that perseverance from you."

"Let's just hope she's as compassionate as her mother."

"Oh please, I think you're definitely more compassionate than me." She corrected softly. "That's what I love about you." His embrace tightened.

"I hope you won't laugh at me for being too emotional again." She teased.

"Not tonight, shortcake." He pecked her on the temple. "You get a freebie."

She smiled and snuggled closer to him," I know you might not be able to forgive me...but can you do me one last favour?"

"What is it?" He rested his chin on her head.

"I know you're going to try and avoid the girls, it's what you do to keep them safe...but I want you to try and be in their lives more often. Play with them...look after them...be their mentor..."

"I..." his breath hitched," okay. I'll try. Is...is that all?"

"I also know it'll be difficult to get me home..." Her voice broke into a sob. "So...burn my body...a-and bring me home...f-from there scatter my ashes somewhere a-and set me free. And..."

She wasn't sure if it was because of her tears or her injuries, but it felt almost impossible to breathe. "A-and...thank you...f-for always looking after me a-and for all the happy memories. I-I don't know what's in store for you in the future...but know that I love having you in my life. Don't you dare forget that."

It hurt to say those words but she knew it was even more painful for him to hear it. He lifted his chin from her head and buried his face into her neck, she felt warm tears hitting her skin.

"I love you, Summer" she heard him whisper. Though her body was readying itself for an eternal sleep, her heart leaped with joy.

She kissed his head," I love you too, Qrow...I always have...and I always will."

Some may say death is a cold, heartless force that snuffs out the beautiful flame that is life. Others may see it as a cloaked figure, looking for the perfect prey to cut out of this world.

To Summer, who was locked in the warm embrace of her lover, death was an angel that descended from the sea of stars. It stood by them just as she shared one final kiss with the love of her life. Then, when her hourglass was empty, it gently took her out of Qrow's arms and carried her to the other side where she'll wait to meet him again.


	10. Epilogue

"And then I punched that guy so hard he flew to the other side of the room!" Yang finished her story with an enthusiastic punch into the air.

They were seated around the dinner table with a box of freshly baked cookies. While Qrow was not a good cook, he knew a good bakery when he saw one. The girls certainly didn't seem to mind sharing a box of store-bought sweets with their uncle.

"That's pretty impressive, firecracker." Qrow ruffled Yang's long golden hair. "Keep this up and you're guaranteed to be able to attend Beacon Academy."

"Thanks, Uncle Qrow." She grinned widely. "I wouldn't have done it if dad hadn't taught me to fight."

"Oh yeah? How is he doing lately?" Qrow asked while taking a sip of liquor from his flask. It was a habit he picked up shortly after Summer died. If she were here he'd definitely get an earful from her.

"Dad's...better," Yang answered with a small smile. "He's still really sad but he comes out of his room more _and_ he goes to work now. Oh! And he even gives us extra fighting lessons!"

"That's good to hear." Qrow was a bit worried when he left for a small mission for Ozpin. Tai hasn't been the best dad after hearing about Summer's demise and Qrow was left to take care of the girls. He decided to play nanny for a bit longer before taking on more serious missions.

"When he's better I'm gonna challenge him to a fight and beat him!" Yang perked up again, slamming her fists together.

Qrow laughed at his niece," you better tell me about it when that happens."

"Of course! I'll make sure to record his defeat as well!"

"And how about you, kiddo?" He turned his attention to the unusually quiet Ruby. "Did you have your first fight yet?"

"O-oh yeah." She nibbled on the edge of her cookie. "Dad taught me lots of cool punches and stuff..."

Even after learning the truth from Summer, Qrow decided to keep his identity a secret from her. Ruby already lost her mother, he didn't want to rip away everything that she's known for all her short life. That's not the mention the damage Tai would go through admitting one of his precious girls wasn't really his daughter. As if losing _both_ Raven and Summer wasn't bad enough.

"Is that all you wanna tell me?" He pressed on.

Ruby shrugged and continued to eat her cookie. Qrow sighed and took another swig of his drink, if she wasn't going to talk then there's nothing he can do to change her mind. That's one thing they both shared.

"So, do you girls wanna hear more about my past missions?"

Both girls' eyes lit up at his offer. Yang was practically bouncing in her seat with excitement while Ruby nodded eagerly.

"Alright," he closed his flask and put it back into his pocket. "Let me tell you about the time we found a ghost town..."

* * *

After tidying up the house, Qrow bid the girls good bye and disappeared into the forest surrounding their house. There he transformed into his avian form and perched onto one of the trees overlooking the area. That was the only way he could look after the girls and protect them from his semblance. It was probably two hours later when he spotted his former friend walking back to the house with what looked like groceries in hand. It wasn't anything significant but at least he found the energy to bring food home again.

Qrow made a mental note to check how full the fridge was the next time he visited.

The girls burst out of the house and greeted their dad with hugs and kisses. His friend smiled and hugged them back. Satisfied at the scene below, Qrow took flight and headed straight for the bar.

* * *

The sky was painted in oranges and reds by the time Qrow flew back. Even with Tai doing better, Qrow still wanted to make sure the girls were safe and under protection at all times.

Summer would undoubtedly be beaming with joy at his new habit.

He perched onto the roof and peered down at Yang and Tai in the backyard. From the looks of it Tai was teaching Yang some new moves. He made himself comfortable and watched as Yang mimicked her father's moves with ease. Tai was beaming at her progress, Qrow hadn't seen him this happy for a long time.

Yang shouted something about fighting Tai and defeating him. Tai burst out laughing and taunted his daughter.

'Like father like daughter,' he couldn't help but think.

Qrow skipped further to the roofs edge and tilted his head to the side.

'Strange,' he thought. 'Why isn't Ruby here?"

He flew off from his spot and circled around the to the front of the house, transforming back into his human form. He clumsily made his way to the front door, still a bit tipsy from his drinks earlier, and knocked.

Tiny footsteps pounded on the other side. He noticed the small head peeking out from the window before heading toward the door. He smiled to himself for instilling the rule of checking before opening the door to strangers.

"Uncle Qrow!" Little Ruby rocketed out the door and wrapped her arms around his legs. "I thought you said you weren't coming back until tomorrow."

"I had a change of plans, kiddo." He ruffled her dark hair. "Did you eat yet?"

"Yup, dad brought home burgers and fries!"

"Again?" He raised his brow. He half-expected Tai to cook something healthy for them. Looks like he'll need to buy them some fresh fruits for snacks tomorrow.

"Yeah, it was super yummy!" Ruby grabbed Qrow's hand and guided him inside the house. "And then we finished all your cookies for dessert. I had the most."

'If Summer were here she'd be more than upset with you, young lady.' He pondered amusedly.

"I drew a bunch of new pictures," she pointed to the pile of papers sprawled on the living room floor. "Do you wanna see them?"

"Sure," he followed his daughter to the papers. The moment he sat down on the floor she shoved drawing after drawing into his face.

Most of it were of random cartoon characters fighting with rainbows and what appeared to be candy. He listened to her ramble about each drawing, telling him of all the crazy battles she came up with.

"I still need to make the princess transform into a fairy," she explained. "And then the super story is done!"

He chuckled at her enthusiasm and set the papers aside," I better be the first one to see the ending to your story."

"Sorry, Uncle Qrow, but I promised Yang that she'll see it first." She smiled guiltily. "But you can be the second one who sees it. And then daddy will see it last."

'Oh the irony.'

Yang and Tai's laughter could be heard even from the inside. Qrow noticed Ruby staring off into space, her lower lip slightly quivering.

"Okay, kiddo, what's wrong?" He decided to ask.

Ruby snapped out of her daze and wiped her eyes dry with her hands. She sat down in front of her unfinished drawing and continued to colour.

'Why do kids have to be so difficult?'

"Look, I know it's scary to talk to grown ups about sad things, but I want you to know that you can tell me anything."

Ruby stopped colouring," but...what if you laugh at me?" She mumbled without looking at him.

"I won't laugh." He assured. "So tell me, what's bothering you?"

Ruby reluctantly placed her crayon down all the while keeping her eyes locked on her drawing. She fidgeted with her thumbs for a while before finding the courage to speak," I lost my first fight." She confessed meekly.

"Were you hurt badly?" The question left his mouth before he knew it.

Ruby shook her head," I just got bruises but...it was embarrassing." She sniffled.

"Hey, one loss doesn't mean you're a bad fighter."

"But...when dad tries to teach me to fight I suck at it." She continued. "Why is Yang so good at fighting? Why am I not good like her?"

"There's lot's of different ways to fight, Ruby. Some people are just better at certain fighting styles than others."

"But...but I wanna be good like mommy." Her words opened wounds Qrow has been desperately trying to drown out with alcohol. "I-if I suck at fighting then how can I be like mommy?"

Qrow wanted to take another drink, but he forced himself to hold back for now.

"Ruby, did I ever tell you the first time your mom lost a fight?"

Ruby perked her head up with interest," mommy lost a fight before?"

"Yeah...in fact, she was crying about it like you."

"I-I'm not crying." She crossed her arms.

"Whatever you say, kiddo." Qrow found himself grinning at her response. It was scary how similar Summer and Ruby were. "So...do you want to hear the story or what?"

"Uh huh!" Ruby abandoned her drawing and crawled over to Qrow's side.

He proceeded to tell her about the Vytal Festival and the devastating loss their team experienced. Ruby listened with undivided attention as he delved into her mother's mindset during the night he confronted her.

It was painful to revisit the memory of her still alive, still full of hope and aspiration for the future. Even after so much time it still felt so surreal to accept that she was truly gone.

By the time he was done fresh tears stirred in his eyes.

"Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked worryingly.

"Sorry about that," he promptly wiped his eyes dry. "The point is you keep moving on. Every defeat teaches you something new. If your mom gave up she wouldn't have been as strong as she was."

"Did mommy lose any _more_ fights?"

"Yup, but we got better after each defeat. Soon we won almost every fight."

Ruby nodded just before breaking into sobs. Qrow was caught off guard when she wrapped her tiny arms around him.

"I miss mommy," she hiccuped. "I wish she didn't lose, Uncle Qrow. I-I wish she came home."

"I...I know," he gently returned the hug. It was near impossible to hold back his own grief at that point. "I-I'm sorry, kiddo."

Qrow recollected himself first while Ruby took some extra time to calm down. Once his daughter was finished bawling, Qrow got up and fetched her a cup of water. If Tai noticed his presence in the house he didn't bother to say anything. He returned to Ruby's side and kept quiet as she sipped the drink.

"Uncle Qrow," she spoke up sheepishly.

"Hm?"

"Do you have to leave for more missions?" Ruby peered down into her cup intensely.

"Yes, but it won't be anytime soon." His daughter visibly withered at his answer, igniting a spark of guilt within him.

"What if...what if you don't come back?"

She'd asked him the exact same question when he left for his short mission. Yang, while still distraught at his leaving, kept her composure, unlike Ruby. She clung to him like a vice, crying and screaming at him to stay. It was difficult for both parties to part way. Qrow was devastated to leave his family again while Ruby was terrified of losing another loved one. If it weren't for Yang's help and reassurance he probably wouldn't have gotten free of Ruby's grip.

"Ruby, hunters and huntresses leave their families every day to protect them from the Grimm. We fight for everyone who can't. This is why I can't stay here forever." The air suddenly felt thick. Qrow sighed and ruffled Ruby's hair. "I can't promise you that I'll come back every time, kiddo. If I don't...you cry and then you move on."

"Move on?" She quoted quietly.

"It means...you stop being sad every day and try to be happy again." He frowned at his own half-assed description. Ruby, however, seemed content with the answer.

"I hope you come home every time, Uncle Qrow."

"Me too."

He'd at least want to live long enough to see Ruby and Yang grow up to be proper huntresses.

"Yang told me a story about you," Ruby said after downing her drink.

"Oh yeah? What'd she tell you?"

"She said you saved us from Grimm with a super cool looking sword."

He chuckled and got up from his spot," it's not called a sword, Ruby." Once he was a safe distance away from Ruby, he drew out his weapon. "What you're seeing right now is a sword, what I used was a scythe."

"Can I see it?"

"I don't know," he examined his surrounding. Knowing his luck, the massive scythe was undoubtedly going to pierce through some sort of furniture or the ceiling.

"Please," Ruby begged with puppy dog eyes. "Yang said it was super cool and I wanna see it."

He examined his surroundings once more," how about we do this in the front yard?"

"Okay!" She sprung up and practically ran to the door. How she can always have so much energy was beyond him.

"Come on, slow poke!"

"Alright, alright," he followed after her lazily.

After instructing Ruby to stay on the porch, Qrow backed several feet away from the house and deployed the full transformation of his weapon.

Ruby stared at the scythe as if it were made of candy, she cheered and urged him to do something with it. He humoured her by performing some basic swings, each one fuelling a spark in her eyes.

"That's all for tonight," he said, retracting his weapon.

"That was so cool!" Ruby bounced off the porch and dashed toward him. "I wanna use that one day!"

"You using a scythe?" He couldn't imagine putting her through the rigorous training of being a scythe user. "Ruby, it's a lot more work than you think."

"I can do it!" She promised fiercely. "That looks way more fun than punching!"

'What did I just get myself into?'

"Um...we can talk about this another day." He scooped Ruby into his arms and headed back to the house. "Now how about we finish your drawing first?"

 **And we are done! Thank you for reading! I didn't think this story would get so many views. You guys are amazing!**

 **Now I promised I would voice my opinion on the theory, so if you're interested keep reading.**

 **As of right now, I'm 50/50 with the theory. When we look at Ruby and Qrow's character design and colour palettes they're strikingly similar. This pattern is seen among family members in the RWBY universe. Of course, this could be explained away by the fact Qrow was Ruby's mentor and she adapted both his weapon and style. It also wouldn't make sense to have Ruby and Yang looking too similar on the team, it isn't as aesthetically appealing.**

 **A lot of people point to the fact that the creator said this theory is wrong and that he never lies to the fandom. I personally think that's a really dumb point, but then again I've never seen his or CRWBY's tweets regarding questions to the story so I don't know how valid it is.**

 **I've personally written a story in the past where I had to specifically lie to my readers about a character. Why? Because if I said anything other than no it would've destroyed my plot twist. So even if so many people believe Monty is 100% truthful I call BS on that. It's too obvious to find plot twists that way—but hey that's just me.**

 **And if this theory proves to be wrong I gotta say this, why does Qrow and Ruby look so similar? It's a bit of a poor design choice and it's no wonder so many people think he's her real dad.**

 **I believe we'll be seeing more of team STRQ's past in the next volume and this question will be addressed. If you're interested in more evidence for the theory, I found a Tumblr post that brings up some decent points.**

 **. post/157404935413/qrow-is-rubys-father-theory/amp**

 **Those are just my thoughts so don't go on a witch hunt if I don't agree with what you think. I know how serious this fandom can get so...yeah.**

 **Thanks once again for reading! I don't know if I'll write for the fandom again, but if I get another burst of inspiration (or my internet goes out for 72 hours again) I'll consider making another fanfic. Until next time!**


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